Once Upon A Time
by Personification of Fluff
Summary: InuKagome: AU! Priestess Kagome has to wed Lord Inuyasha to create peace, but what'll happen when lightning clashes between the two? InuKag and MS [Complete]
1. Once Upon a Time

Inuyasha!  A Feudal Fairy Tale!

Rating: PG-13

Author: PoF

Disclaimer:  I don't own Inuyasha.  It's just that simple.

Dedication:  For Emily and Toth-chan, because they got me addicted to Inuyasha.

Summary:  What happens when you mix together bits and pieces of Ranma, any fairy tale you can think of, Romeo and Juliet, and add in a crapload of Inuyasha characters!  A feudal fairy tale!  The plot's pretty self explanatory.

AN:  Be gentle!  I love Ms. Takahashi's works, but I've only seen a few episodes of Inuyasha!  Hope you like it!

Chapter One: Once Upon A Time…..

            Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a young maiden.  She had luxurious black hair, and dark green eyes, and was reputed as being quite a beauty.  However, beauty is a dangerous thing to have in a far away land from a far away place, as people grow jealous and others grow possessive.  

            Then again, these things are often direct related….

            One day, Kagome, the aforementioned maiden, was working in the garden when a carriage pulled up.  She ignored it and kept working away, knowing that the only way the crop would grow was if she tilled the soil and planted the seeds.

            "Why are you doing that peasant work?" a haughty voice demanded.  She looked up and saw it was, of all people, Queen Kikyo.  The Queen lifted her chin proudly when Kagome gave a clumsy curtsy.  "Well… you've at least got good manners to go with your good looks.  He'll like that."  She sighed.  "Maiden Kagome, I'm going to be frank with you.  Your country needs you.  In return for your compliance, we're willing to give your family a title and have your family come and live at the palace with us, where they will never want for anything else."

            Kagome was impressed by her Queen's openness, and the knowledge that her family would always be safe was tempting, but Kagome had not been raised a fool.  "I'm sorry, Majesty.  I'm afraid I have to decline.  I can't accept until I know exactly what it is that I'm supposed to be doing."

            Kikyo suddenly smiled.  The Queen was very pretty when she smiled, but normally she looked sad.  The people of her fair country assumed it was because of the heavy burden of being a Queen.  She liked Kagome's bravery.  It was a good thing the poor child was brave, because she'd need that strength of hers for the path ahead.

            "Are you aware of the current situation between ourselves and the demon nation to the south of us?  Good.  Then, as you already know, they are threatening us with war.  Sesshomaru, the aristocratic leader of that country, has reached an agreement with me that will keep our lands in peace for many, many years to come."

            She nodded, not certain of how she fit in yet.  She'd heard how people like Sesshomaru treated humans, and was even more adamant to stay out of foreign affairs.  But Kagome seriously doubted that Kikyo would have agreed to give him human sacrifices or something.

            "Would I be correct in assuming that you've also heard of Prince Inuyasha?"  
            "Sure," Kagome replied.  "But only in rumors.  They say that he's the sibling of King Sesshomaru, born after Sesshomaru's mother died and the old king remarried to a human.  They say he has his father's silver hair and his mother's skin, so he doesn't have any of those weird markings like the current king.  They say he's strong for only being a half demon, but he's taken out a few of the full-demons too.  Or that's what I've heard.  They say that because he was left Tetsusaiga, his elder brother was forced to give him the position of law-defender, and that he doesn't mind a bit because he gets to do a lot of fighting."

            Kikyo blinked in surprise.  She'd never expected that the rumors of the lower folk could be so accurate!  She clasped her hands and regained her queenly attitude.  "Everything you say is true.  It is regarding Inuyasha that our peace treaty was based upon.  You see, he is the only Halfling in the demon-country, and because of that, no demoness will take him as a husband."

            She suddenly understood.  The shovel dropped from her hand.  "Eh?"  She nearly face faulted.  "You want me to marry Lord Inuyasha?"

            "In a word?  Yes."

            She had to clasp a hand over her mouth to keep from going ballistic to the royal lady.  After taking a few deep breaths, she managed to speak without raised voice. Her  feelings regarding this news were hidden.  "Why me?"

            "Because of your assets.  Rumors of your beauty have spread even to my castle, maiden Kagome.  As a farmer's daughter, you are obviously not afraid of hard work.  As the granddaughter of a priest, you have certain powers that can protect you from the other demons of that place.  You are brave, and I have no doubt that you're loyal to your country.  All these traits Sesshomaru has assured me Inuyasha will admire, so that we can hope to try and get a perfect match."  The Queen sighed again.  "Believe me, maiden Kagome, I wish that this task could have gone to someone else.  I wish. . . ."

            The Queen hung her head sadly, and Kagome knew what she was thinking.  In a match such as this, it should have been the Queen's daughter or sister that would have been chosen to marry Inuyasha, but the Queen was an only child and did not have a husband to father a child. 

            Even if she did, the child might not have a grasp of the powers of a priestess, and would not be able to defend herself.  The Queen realized she had put a difficult question in front of the girl who only wanted to till the earth, and said so.  "Please, maiden Kagome, this is your choice.  It is not, nor ever will be, a royal proclamation that you must wed Lord Inuyasha.  If you do not want to, I will fully understand."

            Her answer was surprisingly swift.  "No.  I won't, Majesty. I refuse to wed Prince Inuyasha."  The Queen's shoulders sagged.  "However, I agree to be engaged to him either until we both willingly consent to this marriage, or until a different agreement can be reached."  She smiled gently at the Queen, her cheeks turning pink.  "Would that help, Majesty?"

            She began to smile as well.  "It would, I believe.  It would indeed.  Very well.  Kagome, please, make ready yourself.  We must leave for the castle immediately.  There's some paper work to take care of."  The maiden went to curtsy again, but Kikyo took the younger girls by her shoulders.  "None of that, Kagome.  Please, call me Kikyo."  She then gave Kagome a warm and rather reckless smile that would have made her royal trainers cringe at her losing her stoic façade.  "After all, we're family now."

            Little did Kagome imagine, however, just how literal Kikyo was being.  She had just walked into the castle when lawyers began handing her scrolls to sign.  Kikyo assured her she didn't need to read them and she should just go ahead and sign them.  It wasn't until she had slept the night (in a rather large and comfy bed) that she had found out just exactly what had been written on the papers.

            The drapes were flung open, leaving a tired and sore Kagome rubbing her eyes and blinking around the room.  When her vision cleared, she found herself staring at a sunny girl with hair as dark as her own.  She yawned.  "Hello.  Who are you?"

            The other girl's smile grew.  "My name's Sango.  I was told to come and get you, Duchess Kagome.  Or would you prefer just being called Lady Kagome?"

            "Just call me Kagome.  What do you mean I'm a Duchess?" she asked, gropping for her hairbrush so that she could start her morning schedule.

            Sango blinked.  "Oh.  You mean you didn't know?  Didn't you read the papers you read last night?"

            "Reading?  I could barely hold the quill!  Let me guess, I accidentally signed papers that say I'm now a bloody noble, right?"  Sango nodded and added that she herself was one of the 'bloody nobles'. Kagome felt her cheeks begin to burn.  "Sorry.  It's just… I didn't know that I was going to be made nobility!"  She peered at the girl, and realized she was armed to the death.  "You certainly don't look like a noble."

            To her surprise, Sango laughed.  "That's the thing about royalty and peasants.  The peasant all think nobility are stuck up people who sit around on their asses all day, while the nobility all think that the peasants are all uneducated who are good for nothing but labor.  In reality, we're all nothing like you thought other people are.  I mean, I'm a noble lady: I never wear dresses, I can beat up some of the guys here in court, I've been trained in magic and fighting since I was old enough to hold my head up."  She paused and considered what she'd said.  "Of course, there are a lot people in court who say that I'm a traitor, and I don't really see how. . . ."

            She shrugged, still in a pleasant mood, and tossed a dress at Kagome.  "Anyway, I was sent up here to drag you down to dinner.  So this is me dragging you.  Put that on and then I'll show you how to get to the breakfast room. Although I don't know why.  Did they tell you when it is you're moving out?"

            "No," Kagome said, almost sensing a conspiracy.  

            "Night before the next new moon.  Apparently Sesshy's even sending his own chariot to take you in.  I suppose he thinks that will stop bandits from coming after you."

            "B… bandits?"

            Seeing Kagome's nervous face, Sango explained, and tried to be less blunt this time.  "There are a lot of bandits that patrol the borders between our kingdom and theirs.  They… well, you know, they do bandits stuff.  They steal from anybody possible, and kidnap whoever they get their hands on.  They're the people Inuyasha and I have been sent to stop.  Inuyasha takes care of the demon ones, and I take care of things on this side of the border."

            Kagome lay back down in bed, staring up at the ceiling.  "The night before the new moon.  How long do I have to say goodbye to my family?"  She rubbed her head.  "Yesterday I woke up and the biggest thing I worried about was how much it might rain this week.  Today I wake up and I'm engaged and nobility."

            Sango only laughed.  "Well, just think of what can happen to you tomorrow!"

The night before the new moon came sooner than Kagome would have liked.  Her head pounded as she went to bed the night before she was to leave.  For the past four days, she had been drilled repeatedly in etiquette and customs.  Her brain felt like it was going to explode.  She never wanted to see another etiquette teacher for as long as she lived!

            The next morning she was already up and dressed by the time Sango entered.  Sango peered at her, and didn't say anything about the bags under Kagome's eyes.  She tossed her some fruit for a quick breakfast before they headed out.  "It's not that bad," she confided in the girl she'd quickly begun to call a friend.  "I mean, you're not even going to meet Inuyasha for another two or three days.  And you don't _have to marry him, remember?  Look, it'll take us a day and a half to get to the border.  It'll take us another day and half to get to the capital.  It would take us longer, but these are demonic horses, we're talking about."_

            Kagome stifled a yawn.  "I wish I had known that last night, before I went to bed.  Maybe then I would have been able to get a bit more sleep."  

            The idea of getting into a rickety carriage made her want to cry.  What in the world had possessed Kagome to do this?  She'd had such a quiet, simple life before!  However, when Kagome saw the carriage Sesshomaru had sent to pick her up, she felt a little relieved.  At least it would be a quiet ride!

            The horses were skeletal ones, floating a foot of the ground.

            She turned to look at Kikyo, and almost wanted to change her mind about the whole thing.  She wanted nothing more than to blurt out:  'I'm not doing it anymore!  I'm not a priestess!  I just a normal, sixteen-year old farm girl! Find a real noble lady to do it!  Find somebody who won't make a mess out this!  Hell, even take Sango if she'll agree, just give it to anybody else but me!'

            The words were cemented in her mind when she saw the look of hope in Kikyo's eyes.  The Queen was looking on her as a woman, a ruler, and a mother would.  Kikyo looked at Kagome and saw hope for her people, a strong woman she could be proud of saying was her subject, and somebody she longed to have known years ago, because Kagome was, simply and foremost, a _good person.  Her beauty was not skin-deep, it radiated out of her, and that was why everybody who met Kagome loved her so much._

            She only hoped, watching the two girls climb into the skeleton-drawn carriage, that Kagome's shining light would be enough to break the wall of ice around Inuyasha's heart.

            For a day and a half they traveled, and encountered nobody.  Kagome occasionally heard cheers from outside as they passed through cities or farm areas.  The cries of hope and good luck made her stronger and weaker at all the same time.  She needed to do this; but how could she do it?  Sango helped to sheer her up at these times.  Kagome even managed to fall asleep.

            On the eve of the second night, however, Kagome was curling up to go to sleep when she got a sudden feeling of apprehension.  The feeling pounded in her head.  She pushed her blanket off herself and found Sango still wide awake, fingering a knife.  Sango took a swig of alcohol and passed the bottle to Kagome.  "You too, huh?  Here, have some.  It tastes so bad it'll wake you right up."

            Kagome coughed when the alcohol burned her throat.  "Ugh!  That is horrible!  I don't suppose you know what will get rid of my headache, do you?"  Sango shook her head, and Kagome explained.  "Every time there's a demon around, one that wants to harm people, I get a horrible headache.  The last time I had one, a thunder brother was flying overhead.  He was just traveling by, but I could sense his distaste for humans, and how much he wanted to kill us all.  This one isn't all that bad, but they're close."

            "I know.  My nose itches whenever there's trouble around, and it's really itching now.  We're deep in the bandit territory right now.  At this speed, we'll be out of it in another hour."  She itched her nose.  "I only hope that the King was right and that nobody attacks us in the royal….."

            The carriage suddenly halted.

            Sango motioned for Kagome to be still as she peered cautiously out the window.  An arrow thunked right by her head. She threw herself back inside, holding her knife in one hand and a boomerang in the other, crouching on the floor to pounce on whatever unlucky soul opened the door.

            Kagome reach out under her seat and pulled out her bow and arrows.  She notched the arrow, but did not yet draw.  There wasn't enough room. She tried to ignore the headache.

            The door slowly opened.

            With a war cry, Sango threw herself at the attacker.  Kagome, sensing something behind her, drew her arrow and shot, as dangerous as that was in such a confined space.

            Her arrow struck the tale of a little fox-demon, leaving him suspended from the ceiling, his vibrant eyes watering.  "That was mean!  I was only going to take your money!  You don't seem to have a lot of it anyways!  Why'd you have to go and shoot me like that?"  He pulled at this tail, whimpering in pain.

            She felt awful for shooting such a cute little demon, even if he was a thief.  She crossed her arms.  "If I take you down, will your promise not to attack me?"  The little boy only nodded.  "No, I want a solemn, spoken oath that you won't attack us anymore."

            "I… I promise!"

            "And your friend?  Will you get him to stop fighting Sango?"

            The fox-demon stopped squirming and dried his cheeks, suddenly laughing.  "Miroku is fighting the warrior Sango?  You don't need to ask me.  He'll stop himself! Well," he added.  "He'll stop himself from killing her, anyway."

            Hoping he was telling the truth, she stood up on the seat and pulled with all her might on the arrow.  It came off as if it were nothing.  She caught the demon as she fell, and smiled at him. He was kind of cute!  Judging by the look on his face when she smiled, he thought exactly the same way about her.  She inspected his tail, and the demon didn't mind at all, trusting this strange new girl completely.  She closed her hand around it, and when she pulled it away, the tiny wound from the arrow was gone.

            "Gee… thank you!  Thanks a lot, lady!  My name's Shippo!  Yup!  Shippo the fox-bandit!"

            She was only half listening as she walked out the carriage door, wanting to see why the horses had stopped and what had happened to Sango.  She blinked when she saw the skeletal horses were eating from giant carrots.  The girl looked blandly at Shippo, who was smiling proudly and who had declared her shoulder as his perch.  "I take it that was your doing?"  She sighed.  "Sango?  Sango?  Are you okay?"

            Laughter filled the bushes, this one a kind of girlish giggling.  Sango reappeared from the bushes, her weapons sheathed and leaves in hair.  Her arm was thrown around the arm of a monk with darker hair a goofy smile.  She itched her nose.  "Hey Kagome!  I see you've already met Shippo!  This here's Miroku."

            He suddenly let go of Sango and took Kagome's hands.  "Lady Kagome… please bear my…. Ow!"  He rubbed his head where Sango had smacked him.

            Sango grinned.  "Don't worry about these two buffoons.  They're the good bandits.  If there could ever be such a thing!  But there's still somebody else around here.  Would you guys mind sticking around for a little while longer?  If you two were man enough to try and attack the chariot of the King, somebody else might be that fool hearty too."

            "It's not fool hearty when you know it's not the King," a voice drawled.  The gang looked up to find the infamous thunder brothers, the leaders of the King's own guard, floating above them.  The one who had spoken had eyes that glowed red in the night.  "We can smell your human stench from miles away."

            Sango stepped forward.  Shippo and Miroku, knowing they would be executed on sight if they were identified as being bandits, disappeared into the background.  Kagome notched her bow as Sango spoke: "I'm Sango, sent with this woman by the Queen herself, and with the permission to enter your lands.  You can see our papers, if you like."

            "We don't care about no stinking papers," the fat one laughed. "We'll tell the King it was all a mistake.  We'll say you got out of the carriage and took a walk to stretch your legs.  That's when we attacked."

            Hidden in the treetops, a gold eye slowly opened.  He didn't want to come out, but he couldn't get any sleep with them blabbing like that!  

            "Right," the elder thunder brother agreed.  He drew his staff, blue lightning clinging around him in the dark air.  He grinned.  "Eldest gets to go first, as always."  And he threw done the lightning.

            Sango dove out of the way, but Kagome remained affixed.  She had never seen such power before, and was absolutely mesmerized by it.  It was beautiful, and astonishingly large.  How could she possibly make it away in time?  She closed her eyes and let her arrow fly, praying that it might somehow save her.

            "_You fool!" someone roared.  "_Get out of the way!_"  _

            Arms wrapped around her shoulders, sending her flying from the path.  The ground struck her back hard.  The pain told her she was still alive, even as her eyes began to darken.  

            A cry rang through the air as the light from the bolt disappeared.  Kagome opened her eyes and found somebody was laying on top of her.  She could feel their heart beat through her own.  His body was heavy and muscular, but comfortable.  His breath was hot on her neck, sending the oddest sensations through her body.  Her stomach felt weak, and her throat felt clenched.  Her skin was in gooseflesh, but felt warm.  Her chest brushed his as he moved, sitting up.  

            Kagome stared straight ahead, almost too terrified to move.  Her throat closed up even more when she found herself staring at one of the most gorgeous looking guys she'd ever seen.  His hair was long and black, as dark as hers and just as soft feeling.  He wore red robes that looked as if they could have been woven from blood.  His hazel eyes glowed with pride, but they were harsh and determined.  There was a trickle of real blood running down his face.

            "Those _bastards!" he snarled, as if he were an animal.  "Those two are gonna get it when I'm through with 'em!"  He glanced down at the girl who was stuck under him, not the least bit aware of their previous, compromising position, or the reason behind the blush that had spread over Kagome's cheeks.  "Are you okay?"_

            "Yes," she weakly replied.  "But you're not."  She lifted a hand to heal him.  Her fingertips brushed his cheek.  His skin was warm and soft.  He flinched away, looking as if she had just slapped him instead of touching him lightly.  Her eyebrows drew together, wondering what had happened to this human that had made him so jumpy about being touched by a girl.  Or was it touched by another human?  

            "I can't heal you if you move like that!" she snapped.  Kagome smiled at the strange boy.  "Don't worry.  It doesn't hurt."

            He ducked his head, and she lightly touched his cheek again.  After only a second later, she let go of him and smiled brightly again.  "There.  You see?  All better again."

            "It would have healed just fine on it's own."  He pulled himself off her, again not seeming to notice the fact that he had just pinned a beautiful girl.  He glared at her with those fierce hazel eyes.  "Stay here," he commanded her.

            Kagome normally would have said something along the lines of "I don't think so", but she stayed there, feeling too tired to really move.  It wasn't that she was tired from healing or anything, she just felt tired.  And she didn't know why.  She began to peel herself off the bushes.  The young man might have ordered her to stay here, but Sango was still out there somewhere.

            He returned to find her leaning a tree, rubbing her forehead.  Her headache was finally gone.  "I take it the thunder brothers have left now?"

            The boy arched an eyebrow.  "Yes."  His long fingers tapped the hilt if the rusted sword by his waist.  "You were extremely lucky, lady.  That show blew up your whole carriage.  You must be a priestess, right?  You heal me, and the arrow you shot somehow went right through the lightning bolt.  It hit Manten in the shoulder."  The man flipped hair over his shoulder, his back superiorly stiff.  "Then again, with a mark that big, it's hard to miss."

             Kagome managed to stand up, her back hurting.  "I need to find Sango.  She might have gotten caught in the blast.  She might still be. . . ."

            "There was no body else around," he suddenly announced.

            The ground seemed to fall away, even as her knees landed on it.  Sango was dead?  No!  It couldn't be!  She felt his hands clasp her shoulders as he demanded to know if she was all right.  For a brief moment she looked up and saw that his eyes were completely and utterly open.  Then he blinked and it was gone.  He held her protectively in his strong arms.  She could feel the blood beating fiercely in his veins even through his robes.

            "You're drained," he said, as if he just realized it.  He snorted in disgust.  "I should have known a weak woman like you wouldn't have been able to heal me and stay awake after all."

            "No," she muttered.  "It was… the arrow.  And Sango. . . ."  She felt tears run down her cheeks for the lost life of her close, though new, friend.  She found herself being shifted in his arms, wincing in pain was his hand brushed her back.  His arms supported her shoulders and her knees, and she was amazed when he moved them off of the bitch, further into the bushes.  He carried her like it was nothing, not just in strength, but in respect to him having saved her life and he acted like it was no big deal.

            She was even more surprised when he gently placed in her the shelter of a tree, and took off his robe, spreading it over top of her like a blanket.  She felt her cheeks grow warm as she wondered if the handsome man was going to join her under it.  But, instead, he sat a distance away. 

            Kagome closed her eyes and tried to sleep, but she was cold.  Even under the robe, she shivered.  Kagome half awoke when she felt a body slide in next to hers.  She opened her eyes to see the handsome boy was slipping under the robe.  His skin was cold to the touch, and his cheeks were red.  She guessed that he had wanted to be the big man and stay up protecting her the whole night, but it got cold at night.  Only a demon would have been able to stay out without getting chilled.

            He tried to get comfortable, and was startled when the human girl suddenly snuggled closer to him.  Nobody had even done that before.  Then again, nobody had ever looked at him like a hero before, either. Nobody had ever looked at him without some level of disgust.  Even of the eyes of his own brother were sickened when they looked at him.

            Thinking that it didn't matter much, he let her move closer to him and he tossed his arm over her waist, holding her against him.  She was nice and warm.  If she said anything –if anybody said anything- he just had to explain that sleeping like that was the only way he could be comfortable.  It wasn't his fault that he couldn't help thinking that she looked kinda cute or that her hair smelled nice.  He put his chin on top of her head, her hair soft against his exposed throat.  

There.  Now she was fully protected.  Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit of fear at having his throat exposed like that.  If she was an enemy. . . .

            The hero laughed mentally.  This little human girl?  Hurt him?  Priestess, magical powers, bow and arrow or not, no little human girl could ever hurt Inuyasha.  He settled down for the night, knowing that when dawn came he'd feel like himself again.


	2. There Was A Handsome Prince

Inuyasha!  A Feudal Fairy Tale!

AN:  Thanks for the info, Squeakyinuears! ^_^  I just watched the anime last night: I should have known what color their eyes were, no?  Anyone mind telling me that of Sango's and Miroku's, too?  For future reference?  *blink*  What?  Did you really think that I'd kill of Sango so soon?  Sure, I don't know anything about her personality, but that's why it's so much fun writing AU's!  And I even did research for this part.  Sango has brown eyes, right?  And I found a nifty pic of Miroku with blue eyes, and I figured, 'Why not?' ^_^  Oh yes, Miroku and Shippo being bandits… okay, so I've seen F one too many times and figured that if they can have a hot bandits who's afraid a girls, why not have a perverted bandit?  Wait till you see what else I have in store for them!  

And yes, I know I got this one out soon, but the next one will be out in no less than two weeks, as a forewarning.  I have a few essays to write, an X-Men fic I need to update before people skewer me, and all the usual stuff like eating and sleeping.  And I'm Canadian, so it's Thanksgiving this weekend, which means lots of family time.

Oh yes, if you thought the last chapter was fluffy, wait till you see when I really get going.  Then again, I'm going to need to be really creative with this fluff, as it needs to be… special.  I've never written InuKag fluff (at least by myself) so any hints or suggestions would be appreciated!  (Although I'm so sick I already have their first kiss planned.  I'm unhinged.)  That's,  My MSN screen name is now Unhinged.  

Kikyo being nice?  Lemme put it this way, tsunami-chan:  everybody deserves to be forgiven, and seeing as how I haven't read the firs manga in years, I can't seem to hate her.  So yeah, she'll be nice.

Enjoy! 

There Was A Handsome Prince. . . .

            Kagome was warm.  There was a weight on her waist that first startled her, until she remembered that it was the hand of the handsome human that had saved her from Hiten and Manten.  She sighed and rolled over, wondering if the face of her savior would be softer in his sleep.

            And then she let out a scream.

            His eyes snapped open to find the girl scrambling away, grabbing the first weapon she could find.  She swung it at him, as he stretched.  Her caught it like it was nothing, still in mid-yawn.  He caught her astonished expression that was still laced with fear. Inuyasha pulled the stick from her tiny hands and examined it.  "It's a decent size and weight; sturdy, too.  You should have put some of your magic in it, priestess.  If you'd managed to hit me with it, you might have even succeeded in hurting me.  What's the matter?  You look like you've never seen a demon before."

            "Well… I haven't… that is, not this close and…"  She realized she was stumbling over her words.  Her hands were shaking.  Suddenly she wished she wasn't wearing leggings that showed off her legs, or her grandfather's shirt that was long enough to wear as a very short dress.  When he looked at her, she was suddenly aware of how she must look and sound.  She took a deep breath and tried to calm down, brushing her hair out of her face.  "You were a human yesterday, but now, you're demon.  You're a Halfling, which would mean. . . ."

            Her voice trailed off when she concluded she was looking at Lord Inuyasha, the man she was supposed to marry.  He wasn't quite like he expected.  Then she remembered the moment of softness she had seen in his eyes the night before.  Lord Inuyasha wasn't anything like she suspected.  

            "Which would mean what?" he inquired.  He stood up and threw his shirt back on.  He stood there, and just stared at her.  He knew what she was thinking by her expression: she was standing in front of Lord Inuyasha, the only Halfling in the world.  Inuyasha; the mutt of the great demon nation!   "You seem to know who I am.  You mind telling me what you were doing riding around in my big brother's carriage?"

            The brown eyes girl looked uncomfortable for a second, and then she curtseyed.  She wobbled a bit, a tell tale sign that she was still new at court manners.  She remained like that.  "Lord Inuyasha, my name is Kagome.  Kagome Higurashi."

            Inuyasha's jaw dropped.  His staring suddenly became something completely out of his control.  Kagome as in the woman his brother had condemned him to marry?  Her black hair was in tangles, her face was smudged with dirt, and she didn't even know how to bow properly.  

            He was already starting to develop a headache from her.  Walking over and taking her by her shoulders, he steadied her back up, staring at her with an expression that was clearly not amused.  "We can do this type of thing when we get somewhere safe," he told her.  "This is still bandit country.  How quickly can you move?"

            Finding his query odd, to say the least, she wondered how she ever could have found this cold man attractive in any sort of way!  He was inhuman in more then just looks.  How could she ever have thought he was a genuine hero?  Kagome pushed the image of his hazel eyes opening up with endless possibilities all the way to the back of her mind.  She knew she'd never see _that again._

            She pointed down at her feet with an angry finger.   "I can walk as fast as these can carry me."

            Inuyasha shook his head, clearly not satisfied with the mode of transportation.  He stepped closer to Kagome, who took a step away from him without first thinking.  Kagome tried to ignore the flash of disappointment that crossed his face when he realized that she was still afraid of him.  His shoulders slumped slightly.  Somehow he knew he was going to be in for a lot of explanations.  "Walking isn't going to be fast enough, Lady.  We're in _bandit country, remember?  I can get us to the castle in two days, you'd take a week.  Do you really feel like spending a week out here?"_

            "Well, no. . . ."  She wondered why she felt like such an idiot around him.

            "I didn't think so.  So as long as you don't mind being near me, seeing as how I _am_ your fiance, I can carry you."  When she nodded compliantly, he bent down and once again scooped her up, as he had last night.  

            Inuyasha didn't think that she was comfortable with this arrangement, but Kagome wondered if maybe she was _too comfortable with it.  Now the she was cradled against his chest like a little kitten, she could once again feel his erratic heartbeat and sleek muscles.  Her own heart was beating just as wildly.  Timidly, she raised her eyes just to see what he was going._

            He was staring down at her.  Of all things, he was actually staring down at her!  His cheeks suddenly burned red, and he quickly looked away.  Inyasha's armed tightened around her, and then he pushed off without so much as a word of warning.

            Kagome felt her stomach lurch with the first movement, but then she realized that his hopping was almost like the swaying of a ship.  It was certainly smoother than any carriage, including the one that had just been demolished.  She clung to his shirt, and he didn't seem to mind a bit.  Or, if he did, he certainly didn't say anything.  She tilted her head and looked back at the road and the large crater left by Hiten's attack.  Seeing it herself, she knew that Inuyasha had been correct.  There was no way Sango could have survived.  She felt tears start to run down her cheeks, but dried them away with her sleeve.  She's cry later on, when Inuyasha wouldn't be able to see her.

~*~

            Back at the road, the bushes rustled and Shippo popped out.  He danced along the edge of the crater childishly, not aware of the danger he had of slipping in.  Or not caring, which is often how demons felt, as there were very few injuries they wouldn't be able to heal from.  He whistled as he danced.  "You were quite lucky, Sango.  You'd be as dead as the other girl now."

            Sango pursed her lips as she stared at the massacred road.  She shook her head her, her hands shaking.  Miroku noticed this and took one of them.  "I can't believe she's really gone," Sango sniffled.  "I mean, she was a priestess.  She was supposed to have been stronger than to just be defeated by some asshole like Hiten.  And you say you can find no trace of her, Shippo?"

            The young demon shook his head and stopped his dangerous acrobatic act.  "I can't find any trace of her magic, Sango.  I really am sorry.  I kind of liked her."  He reached back and clutched his tail, hiding his face in it.  No human had ever healed his tail before.  Not even Sango, although the bodyguard had never seen Shippo when the young boy was injured.  "But all I can smell is Lord Inuyasha.  A human Inuyasha, too."

            Miroku clenched his teeth at the demon's name.  "I hope that all the energy from the lightning bolt made it impossible for him to smell _us.  Otherwise, Shippo and I are two very, very dead bandits.  What are you going to do now, Sango?"_

            She glanced at Miroku, sad that she would not get to stay with him longer, and then began to determinedly walk around the hole.  "I've got to go and tell King Sesshomaru what happened here.  Otherwise, he may think Queen Kikyo went back on her word.  Then we'd be even worse of then before."

            The human stared at her.  He couldn't let his Sango just go off like that, could he?  Miroku snatched Shippo, shoved the boy under his arm, and ran up to walk beside Sango.  When she gave him a puzzled expression, the blue-eyed boy smiled at her.  "I'm not going to let you wander around the demon country by yourself," he told her.  "You'll run into less trouble if I'm here with you, and even less if we drag Shippo with us!"

            "You know, you could've just told me that you wanted to come with her to protect her, and I would've been willing!  I don't need to be carried like this!" the boy cried from Miroku's arm.  "Come on, Miroku!  Put me down!"

            Laughing, Miroku tightened his grip on Shippo.  "I don't think so, kid.  Your legs are too short.  You'd just end up sitting on my shoulder, and then you'd mess up my hair."

            Rolling her eyes, Sango managed to put the tragic incident behind her, as any trained warrior would, and smiled.  Kagome was dead, but there was still life around her, in the form of Miroku and Shippo.  And with those two accompanying her to the demon castle, she knew it was going to be an interesting journey.

            She just hoped that the thunder brothers hadn't gotten a good look at them, otherwise two doomed aristocrats would be on trial for thieving.

~*~

Inuyasha stopped and put her down in the shade of a large tree.  He stared at her after glancing around, listening and looking for any signs of wild animals or demons.  "Stay here," he ordered, about to leap off again.

            The priestess lurched forward and grabbed the hem of his fire rat robe.  "Wait a second!  Where are you going?"

            "To get food," Inuyasha said, his blank look suggesting he didn't have a clue as to why she would be getting jumpy about his leaving.  It was obvious from their morning, and their silent journey that she hated him.  Still, it made him wonder what it was that had made Kagome agree to the arrangement in the first place.  Sure, she may not have dodged a giant lightning bolt that would have burned her to a crisp before she even realized she was about to do, but he didn't assume that was a sign of stupidity.  That just meant she'd been taken off guard.  Queen Kikyo wouldn't be stupid enough to send someone who didn't know some self defense into the demon country!  

            'You know,' his mind grumbled, 'for her being a human.'

            She felt her cheeks start to go pink.  She felt like a fool now. Kagome wouldn't be surprised if Inuyasha hated her.  First he risked his life to save her, and then she'd freaked out on him when she awoke and found it he was a demon.  How could she have been surprised?  No regular human would have run across a field like that to save her life and risk his own in the process!

            'Oh,' her mind countered.  'But a demon prince would?'  She shied away from him, as if fearing a rebuke, either physical or verbal.  'No wonder he's mad at you, you didn't even say thank you!  First you make it seem like you were going to flip when he left you, and now you're cringing like you're scared of him!  Oh! Oh Gods, I think he's blushing!'

            "What?"  Inuyasha demanded, feeling his cheeks burn as her brown eyes stared at him.  He felt the intensity of her gaze all the way down to his bones.  No matter what her body posture was, her gaze was always warm and collected, showing the soft woman deep down inside.  He only wondered if this was a bad thing, seeing as how many demons would take it upon themselves to break the sincerity in her eyes.

            It made him want to take up his sword and defend her.

            'Ugh!  What the hell is the matter with me?  Scratch that.  What the hell is the matter with Sesshomaru, suggesting that a human come live with us?'

            Kagome slowly stood up, and found her balance.  She took the step between herself and the demon prince, staring up at him with the eyes he wanted to keep innocent.  She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, her lips lingering as she felt his skin, and his scent touched her nose.  He felt so soft.  And his scent smelled like dry leaves and bark, from spending so much time outside.

            His mouth fell open.  He stared at her in shock as she pulled away.  Inuyasha slowly touched his cheek.  "What was that for?"

            Uncertain if he was being rude or was earnestly curious, she couldn't help but smile, as to the first it might brighten his mood and to the second would maker her seem like an idiot, which was often the safer thing to play.  "It was a kiss," she said, her voice light hearted despite the events of that morning.  She just couldn't grasp that Sango was dead yet.  "What's the matter, Inuyasha?  Haven't you ever gotten a kiss before?"

            "No."

            Her smile vanished, her brown eyes wide.

            Inuyasha stared at her, his mouth in a serious line.  "My mother died in childbirth.  My father raised me, with the help of a wet nurse.  And no woman of the court would be considered a member of civilized demon society if they touched me.  No, I have never been kissed before."

            She hung her head, feeling sorry, for unknown reasons.  The stupidest thought crossed her mind: would that be considered taking advantage of a demon prince?  She shook the thought away, leaves flowing out of her unbound hair, caught there from sleeping outside.  Inuyasha looked about twenty.  In two decades, he'd never even gotten such a simple token as a gift?  "Forgive me, I just thought… I mean, you're a male and a prince and… I thought that all princes had been kissed before."

            "To change them out of a frog?"  His suggestion was accompanied by a slight change in tone that would almost suggest a smile.

            "No," she replied slowly.  "Because in fairy tales the prince always ends up kissing the princess, and always makes it look amazing.  And that type of thing I always assumed needing practicing."

            He all but glared at her.  "You're not in a fairy tale, Kagome.  This is real… why are you looking at me like that?"  If it was even possible, her eyes had gotten softer.  She gazed at him as if he'd done something wonderful, or awe inspiring.  He crossed his arms.  "What?"

            "You, you just," she stammered.  Kagome reminded herself she was a priestess, and everything seemed better.  "You hadn't said my name before.  I've never heard it said… like that."

            "Like what?"

            "Just… like that."  She sighed and gestured toward the small village.  "Go on.  Go get your food, my Lord.  I'd hate to think that my pointless chatter was keeping you from your food."

            Inuyasha had left before she'd finished speaking, leaving Kagome alone with her guilty thoughts.  He went into the town and made a beeline for the closest restaurant.  His purse was light.  Most people knew he was the prince when they saw him, as his parentage was visible, but nobody would lend him a dime, royalty or not.  He ordered only bowl of miso soup, wanting to ensure that his gold would last.  

            He could go without eating, if he needed to.

            And that was he was brooding in the back of the dark restaurant when Hiten and Manten came in.  The thunder brothers could see just as well as Inuyasha could in the dimly-lit room, but they didn't see him, anyway, and Inuyasha was sitting downwind.  He'd had one too many comments made about his "too-human" scent over the years.

            Manten was groaning, clutching at a wound that showed no signs of healing.  "I can't believe that bitch did this!  She was only a little human girl!"

            The innkeeper rushed over.  She'd been rude to Inuyasha, but now she was all worries.  "Oh my goodness!  What in the world happen to you poor people?"  She handed Hiten a bowl of ramen.  Inuyasha almost began to drool at the scent of it.  "Please, sirs, have it on the house!  Lord Hiten, you're so brave and strong to be carrying your brother around like that!"

            He wrapped an arm around her waist, gazing deep into her eyes.  "Don't worry, Yura!  I know I'm brave, and strong.  And you are still my favorite demon."  Balancing the ramen in one hand and the demoness in the other, Hiten leaned her over and kissed her passionately, the display earning cat calls and cheers from the other residence of the restaurant.

            Inuyasha stared at them.  Was that seriously what Kagome had been suggesting when she had talked about princes knowing how to kiss?  Was that what she'd been thinking about?  Ew.  Just, plain old ew.  It looked… messy.  He'd much preferred the kiss Kagome had given him on his cheek.  It had been soft, and sweet… as if it had come straight from her heart.  But if all kisses were like the one between Yura and Hiten, Inuyasha would be proud to admit he'd never been kissed on the mouth.

            When he let her go, she ran a long-nailed hand down his cheek.  "Oh, my poor Hiten, whatever happened to you and your unfortunate brother?"

            He coughed and began his story. "Manten and I were innocently traveling through demon territory, when we stumbled upon two lost humans.  We flew down to try and talked to them, but they attacked us."

            "Oh, the horror, the horror!" Manten moaned.  

            "One of them possessed magic.  We retaliated.  I hurled my magic at her, and the bitch managed to fire off a single arrow before my attack destroyed them both.  But the arrow, overflowing with the power of the priestess, managed to slice through the lightning and struck my brother!  Now the poor demon lies dying, being eaten alive by a magic I cannot cure."

            Inuyasha bristled in the dark.  That was nothing like what had actually happened!

            The growing crowd around the three demons began to murmur, some people whispering about Manten's unfortunate fate, and some wondering what a priestess had been doing wandering around the demon country.  Inuyasha began to consider challenging them, as dangerous as that was.  He was outnumbered here, prince or not.  And Kagome was outside.  If it was only his life at stake, he might have actually done it, but with Kagome in danger as well, and no bodyguard to protect her as she tried to reach the castle, he had to force himself to stay affixed to the seat.

            Yura was the one who spoke up first.  As the innkeeper, she'd always heard the rumors before anyone else.  "But, Lord Hiten, they say that Lord Inuyasha's bride was coming today, by way of the Main Road.  What if that was your victim?  King Sesshomaru will surely kill you if he finds out!"

            Hiten seemed to have forgotten all about his younger, dying brother.  "Let the King try and punish me!  His judgments may be harsh, but they are always fair.  How can he punish me when I didn't know it was the prince's fiancée?  How can he punish me when I was only doing my job?"

            Inuyasha had heard enough.  His silent frame stirred the shadows as he moved into the lighter areas of the room.  "Lady Yura, I'd like to have my food now, if you don't mind."

            The face of the older thunder brother paled before he managed to put his mask of heartlessness back up.  The slip had been fatal.  Now Inuyasha knew that Hiten had indeed seen him at the road, saving Kagome.  It was no crime to save a human, especially given the attachment the two would soon share, but it meant Inuyasha would now be a hunted man.  A moment ago the only worry he had was running out of money.  Now he had to worry about that and a vengeful Hiten chasing Inuyasha down.

            And that meant Kagome, too.

            Inuyasha wanted to pull out his hair buy the roots.  What was the matter with him?  Was he really as weak as people said, because of his human side?  Why was he so worried about protecting Kagome?

            Then a thought fleetingly crossed his mind, one he'd never seen before.  Was protecting someone, without a reason, simply because of a desire to hold them and keep them safe so that pain never touched their hearts, was that really so insane?  Impossible, yes, but insane?

            Yura handed him the miso soup, sending laughter through the crowd.  Hiten laughter was louder than all of theirs.   His eyes glowed red in the light.  "What's the matter, Lord Inuyasha?  Is your human palate too frail for the taste of _real_ food?"

            Inuyasha was torn between cuffing him, as would be expected, doing nothing, or making a snappy comeback about how he wasn't the only one to avoid Hiten's cowardly attack.  But that was a stupid idea.  Then he would know that either Kagome or Sango would have survived, and with another witness, it would make the older brother work all the more harder to kill them both.

            He paid and left, telling himself that he was surely the better person for being able to walk away.

            But if that was true, then why did his heart fell like it was choking him?

            Kagome had been thinking heavily since Inuyasha had left, and she had made a rather startling conclusion, now that she knew a little bit more about him.  If he had been raised by his father, if he had never been touched or respected because of his lineage, then that would explain why last night he been able to become so close to her, so close that she could still remember the way his breath made her hair stand on end, yet he hadn't made a single move, or even seemed to have noticed!  Had she been that close to some normal human, like Miroku, things may have gotten complicated, and if it had been a normal demon, she might not have made it out in once piece.

            She nearly fell of the branch when Inuyasha appeared, carrying a bowl.  He handed her the bowl without even looking at her, or uttering a single word.  He was too busy looking around, as if worried of an attack.  "Drink it quickly," he ordered.  "Would you have any complaint if we moved all night?  I want to get to the castle as soon as possible."

            The miso soup felt good in her stomach.  It was nice and light, which was good, considering how she hadn't eaten in almost a whole day, and the warmth was quickly absorbed by her body.  She sipped some, before her hunger cleared enough for her to realize that Inuyasha wasn't eating anything.  "Have you already eaten dinner?"

            "Sure," he lazily answered without missing a beat.  "Now, do you have any complaints if I carried you all night?  If you do, we're going to have to start looking for a really good hiding spot right now."

            Fooled by his answer, she finished off the rest of the miso soup.  "No, I don't mind at all.  That is, I'd feel slightly guilty about making you carry me around like that, but I don't have a problem with it if you won't think me weak for needing to be treated like a child."  
            "Under the circumstances, I don't think that will happen," he mumbled.  When he saw Kagome stare at him, he realized she'd heard him.  He sighed, but didn't explain.  He didn't want to.  He didn't have the time.  Inuyasha took the bowl from her and chucked it as far as he could.  Who knows?  Maybe Hiten would smell it and it would throw the flying demon of their scent, at least for a little bit.

            Wishful thinking.

            He bent down so she could climb on his back, and then they were off.  Kagome sighed and snuggled into his robes, making Inuyasha think they were going to have another silent journey, so her question surprised him.

            "Why did you agree to marry me?"  Kagome wondered if Inuyasha knew that she agreed only to be engaged to him.  She felt his muscles tense under her.

            "How did you know I agreed to it in the first place?"  There were a lot of reasons he could have lied about: he wanted to have sex, it was the only way he'd get a wife, he had never been told he was going to marry her… oh!  That one would have made her feel like an idiot!  That would have taught her to go around talking about stupid sentimental things like weddings!  Why hadn't he said that one? 

            She seemed to shrink on his back.  Sorry, it's just, that, well, I thought…  I thought that it had to be a mutual thing, because if you don't want to, then I'm obviously not going to push you into it.  I was only thinking that maybe… well, it's not important then.

            Inuyasha wondered how he could have tried to make her feel bad and end up feeling worse himself instead of laughing at her guilt.  He shook his head.  Feelings were so stupid!  He hated them!  "I agreed to it because I don't want to see a war break out between our countries.  I don't want to see my family killed, and my towns burned, and I want even less to see that happen to your people, because eventually we'd win.  You know that, don't you.  Kikyo's a good Queen, but she'd never manage to win in a war against us.  Very little can kill us, whereas you humans are as frail as glass in comparison.  One of our children could take out a whole village of your people and not be tired."

            "Queen Kikyo may surprise you.  She has magic yourself, you know."  She stared at the moving ground before starting to feel a little ill.  Kagome buried her head in his shoulder.  Her voice was still her normal speaking voice, even though the wind was ripping the words away from her.  Inuyasha could hear her perfectly well with those cute little ears of his.  She didn't care about what she'd just thought.  Kagome would tell anybody who asked that his ears would cute.

            But that didn't mean she'd marry him.

            "I bet I know another reason why you don't want us to go to war.  It's because you'd wouldn't know where to go, isn't it?"  Inuyasha nodded, letting her think that was the real reason.

            How he could tell sweet, little Kagome that the world wasn't just that simple?  His humanity made him a good person to occasionally deal with humans in politics, but it was his station that kept him from being something more than a simple politician.  And his anger.  He had a lot of anger.  But it was humanity that also kept him from ever being a part of his own society.  If the demons and humans began to fight, the first thing they'd do is kill Inuyasha, as his human heart would risk a leak of vital information that might bring the demon country down.

            He'd been branded a traitor at his birth.

            "Inuyasha?" she asked again after a moment.  "Would you mind telling me about your life?  Tell me about yourself.  Tell me every story you can remember.  I want to know everything about you, Inuyasha."

            The half-breed shrugged.  "There's not much to tell."

            "Tell me anyway," she urged.  Kagome smiled when he gave in, and began to tell her all about his life.

~*~

            Inuyasha was getting hungry.  It was about midnight.  He'd hoped to go on further, but his stomach was crying for attention.  He just kept telling himself that he'd stop when he reached a cave, or someplace where he could hide her.  Finally, he found one.  Placing her sleeping body on the ground, he covered her again with his robe.  He'd almost escaped when she revived herself enough to see he was leaving her.

            Rubbing her eyes with one hand, the other covered her yawn.  "Where are you going?"

            "I'm going to go hunting.  I'll be back soon.  Get some sleep."

            "I've been sleeping for the past five hours," she said.  "I've gotten enough rest.  Can't I come with you?"

            "My fastest hunting is done by myself.  You stay here.  Stay here and tomorrow I'll tell you another story."  

            Even in the dark cave, her smile lit up the place.  "For not having a lot to say about yourself, you certainly seem to be proving yourself wrong."  Kagome curled up under his robe.  "Good luck hunting, Inuyasha."

            Like most other girls from low-class families, she had often dreamed of being a princess.  She'd often dreamed of getting into some frightening, terrible danger and having a prince come and rescue her, carrying her away on, what was usually, a brave white horse.  What else but a brave horse would actually take his rider into a dragon's cave or into the realm of some other great peril?

            Never had she imagined that the prince would have fluffy dog ears, or would be rough on the outside and… almost naïve on the inside.  Inuyasha's life, she now knew, had been lonely and depressed, filled with an anger that Kagome could not understand, due to her own childhood experiences.  Now he used that anger to live his life.  He lived outside, more or less, and he lived off the land, much as Kagome had done with her family's farm.  She wondered how it was fairing, now that she had left her farm.

            It dawned on Kagome that now she was a noble, whether or not she would marry Inuyasha.  She'd never work on making things grow, or healing stray animals again.  She would never be able to take of her shoes and walk through fields of flowers, or splash in the puddles.  In fact, now she'd have to wear dresses too tight in the chest and with too much fabric in the skirt part.  She'd have to wear stockings, and always have her hair pulled or piled into the latest fashion.

            But, Sango was a noble who was a bodyguard.  Maybe there was hope for Kagome yet!

            She forcefully corrected herself: Sango _had been a noble._

            Absorbed in her thoughts, she was still awake when Inuyasha returned.  He carried with him a small bundle.  He settled down at the mouth of the cave, and stared outside.  Kagome sat back up again.  "Are you really going to stay up last night?"  

He didn't answer her, so she got up and sat beside him, drawing the robe around them both.  It was too small, she lifted his arm and snuggled under it, drawing it around her shoulders like a living blanket.  Kagome rested her head on her shoulder and sighed.

"But…." He stammered.  He stared at her, already starting to fall asleep.  "But I thought you only would have offered me the robe if I was human.  You were so scared of me this morning."

"I was only startled, not scared.  I went to be wrapped in the arms of a human, and woke up in the arms of I demon.  I didn't know… I wasn't aware that you switched.  But now you explained to me that you did, so I understand."  She tilted up her face towards his, smiling very softly.  Her brown eyes were already half-closed.  "And, for the record, Inuyasha, that just makes your bravery seem all the more noble.  You weren't just risking your life when you saved me, you were risking your privacy too."

            He hadn't thought of it like that.  He hadn't realized that Hiten would know he was a human at the moment.  The scent would give him away.  Hiten was smart.  It wouldn't take him long to figure out what was going on, and then Inuyasha's biggest weakness would be out in the open.

            Kagome sighed beside him.  

            Okay, his second biggest weakness would be out in the open.


	3. And Everyone Was Happy

A Feudal Fairy Tale!

Happy belated/early turkey related day!

Yeah for updates!  

And, squeaky, I'll email you answers to your questions so that I don't spend up all this room answering your questions, because they deserve answers, but, well, I'm lazy and have an essay to write on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

And Everyone Was Happy….

            Kagome was warm when her eyes opened, but when she stood up she was as cold as snow, and just as pale.  Inuyasha nearly fell over, as they had been supporting each other in their sleep.  She rubbed her forehead as he stretched beside her.  "Something bad is coming this way."

            He automatically sobered up.  "What do you mean?"  In a rush of words, she explained about her headaches and he leapt into action.  He moved so fast Kagome was startled when he handed her the bundle he had carried in last night.  "Don't squish them.  It's our breakfast."  Then he scooped her up and began to carry her away.

            She didn't say anything until they were far away from the cave.  One arm wrapped around her neck, she buried her face in his shirt to keep from feeling vertigo.  When she did speak, she asked him why a demon would want to hurt them when they were in the middle of the wilderness.  

            Inuyasha didn't explain, so she changed topics.  He was obviously worried.  She needed to relax him if she was ever going to evoke an answer from him.  "Inuyasha?"  She saw his eyes glance down at her.  "You promised me a story."

            "Later.  I doubly promise that I'll tell you one later on." 

            The silence stretched on, as the trees grew steadily smaller.  It was when they were nearing the edge of the forest when Kagome felt her stomach rumble.  Inuyasha heard it and told her to open the bundle she had been protecting.  Kagome snuggled closer to Inuyasha, as she needed both hands to open it.  When she saw what it was, she gave a tiny gasped.  

            "Strawberries!"  Kagome loved strawberries.  She doubted that Inuyasha had known it when he had picked them, but the once peasant girl was touched none the less.  He had already picked the stems off and everything.  Kagome felt like he had handed her the world in that little bundle.  "Is this what you were hunting last night?"

            The demon shook his head.  He had been hunting something else.  Like meat.  Inuyasha had long ago discovered that his body was as well equipped for demonic things as it was for human things.  It came in handy, in the middle of nowhere, when one couldn't build a fire.

            Popping a couple in her mouth, she held back a sigh.  Inuyasha was sweet, without even meaning to be.  It was odd, but adorable!  "Would you like some?"

            "Um….?"

            Giggling softly, she rolled her eyes.  Kagome was well aware that Inuyasha couldn't move his hands without dropping her.  She liked the feel of his arm holding her against him.  Kagome had long ago forgotten that Inuyasha was a demon.  She wasn't sure that she'd somehow always known, or if just didn't care, because she saw only a good person on the inside.  Human or demon, prince or peasant, he had risked everything to save her, and he continued to save her.

            For the moment she even forgot that she was supposed to marry him.  And to stop a war, on top of that!  It was too much for her brain to handle, while it was also being fed all of this other information: like Inuyasha's heartbeat, or the gentleness of his hair as he ran, or the way his chest moved as he leapt forward.  Wrapped in his arms, Inuyasha really was Kagome's world.  He enveloped her and protected her from anything that would do her harm.

            "Open up."  He either didn't hear her or he didn't understand her.  "Open your mouth, Inuyasha."

             Looking only somewhat confused, he did so.  With a giggle, she carefully fed him a berry.  He was so shocked that he missed the tree and landed rather harshly on the ground.  His bottom lip touched her finger as he bit down, and she laughed again.  When he looked down at her, Kagome's laughter stopped.

            He looked like _that_ again.  His eyes, for a shinning moment, were completely and utterly vulnerable.  And right now, the vulnerability was aimed at her.  He looked like she had done something amazing, unexpected, and touching.  She held up the other half of the berry for him.  He lowered his head and put his lips around it.  His sharp teeth brushed her skin.  Inuyasha couldn't remember when he had last been treated so gently.

            Or so innocently, which was odd, considering that Kagome really wasn't all that innocent.  But the way that she looked at him and the way she acted…. No.  Innocence was the wrong word to describe Kagome.  Happy, perky, yes, those were close.  But it was something else.  Love.  Pure and simple, she radiated love, and everything that could come with it, like energy one moment and tranquility the next.

            If they married, would she shine some of that beauty on him?

            "See?" she chirped.  "We can continue this way, and you can still eat your breakfast.  We could make a good team. You could be the legs, and I'm the arms."

            Was that why she had done that?  Who cared?  It had been interesting.  Inuyasha thought back to the restaurant.  He kind of had Kagome in the same position as Hiten had held Yura.  What if he… he shook his head and pressed off.  He shouldn't be thinking like that.  His other thought had been much safer.  

            Was the love shinning from Kagome her nature, for everyone, or was some of it, even just a single ray of it, for him?

            Taking off again, he decided to ask himself these questions when he wasn't being hunted down by a crazy demon; and a crazy smart demon, which made it all the more difficult.  "Is your head still hurting?  Can you tell if Hiten is still after us?"

            "No, but, Hiten?"  A mask of seriousness settled down on her face, but Inuyasha could still feel the sweetness that flowed out her.  "Inuyasha, please, tell me what's going on!"  

            Inyasha nodded.  He didn't want to, he found himself wishing they weren't being hunted so that he might be able to actually enjoy the time outside, and with Kagome by his side.  But she had asked him to, and he wouldn't deny her that basic thing called knowledge.  He'd almost reached the ending when he suddenly stopped.  He hadn't realized that he'd been carrying her off course!  Talk about powers of the subconscious!  They were in the wrong direction to the castle, but closer to home. 

            'Well, if this is what my subconscious wants, then Hiten be damned!' Inuyasha mentally growled.  'At least I'll be able…. She'll be able to sleep in a real bed, and we can have a decent supper!'

~*~

            Hiten sniffed the air, and still, all he could smell was his brother's dead body.  He moved farther away from the corpse with a speed that would have rivaled Inuyasha's.  He took another breath.  That was much better.  Now he could smell his prey.  The demon prince was not too far off, and heading in….

            In the wrong direction.  Hiten had assumed Inuyasha was going to the castle, to tell Sesshomaru what Hiten had done.  But no, instead he was heading towards the eastern woods, an area some acres long and twice as wide, held in Inuyasha's name.  He was heading towards his own lands.

            Wondering why, Hiten sniffed the air again.  He smelled human, and it was not from Inuyasha.  It was from a female.  He snarled as he realized the scent.  Hiten had caught a whiff of it, and only once.  The girl with the arrows.  She'd survived, probably because of the prince.  If only his brother had been given the same luck!

            Slinking off into the direction of the castle, his plan changed.  His plans could always change when he discovered wonderful surprises such as this.  Originally, Hiten was going to hunt down Inuyasha, and try to reason with the prince's demon side, but now he'd let the mutt have his bitch!  Hiten could wait for revenge.  He'd get Inuyasha sooner or later, but now all he wanted was to avenge his brother's death.

~*~

            Now, Kagome was still becoming accustomed to the whole idea of being a noble, but she was fairly certain that they all lived in palaces.  So when Inuyasha brought her into a patch of woods, straight to a hidden cottage that had been no bigger than her old home, but with a much larger garden, she stared at him and pointed to it.  "What do you mean you live there?"

            He wondered it she was being surprised or disgusted.  Settling, incorrectly, on the latter, he left Kagome up in the tree and jumped down.  "Sorry that you don't like it, your Highness.  Or would you prefer 'your Eminence'?"

            "I'd prefer it if you called me Kagome!" she snapped.  Kagome lost her balance and fell from the tree.  Inuyasha caught her like it was nothing.

            "Yeah, well, _Kagome_, you don't have to sound so disgusted at the idea of living out in the middle of nowhere with me.  If you have a problem with it, then you can march right back over the border and tell Queen Kikyo that you're not going to marry me.  I have no love of the court and I prefer being out here with nature!"

            She crossed her arms.  Being mad at him meant that she didn't have to resist the urge to curl up against his chest.  "You don't have to yell.  I'm only a foot away from your mouth after all, and I'm not deaf.  And whoever said I was disgusted?  And who in the world ever said that I'd agreed to marry you?  Obviously your brother neglected to inform you of our current position."  Kagome didn't notice that Inuyasha was staring at her now that she was talking like noble, or a highly educated woman.  "I refused to marry you."

            Inuyasha accidentally dropped her.  "What?  But…. Well… war!"

            "I'm well aware of the current predicament between our countries, but I refuse to be sold off into a marriage like some kind of property." She slowly picked herself off the dirt ground, dusting off her clothes.  "So I agreed to be engaged to you, until either some other agreement could be arranged or until the marriage was consensual.  I was sure that if I didn't want to get pushed into a marriage to complete and total stranger that you probably didn't either."

            "I'd accepted that an arranged marriage was my future long ago," he mumbled.  She could hear the self-pity in his voice.  It was well-hidden, except that she knew about his past now, and the knowledge of his loneliness seemed to be the key to his heart.  He sighed wearily and unlocked the door for her.  "So, you don't actually mind my house?"

            "Actually, I daresay I love it!" she smiled at him before looking around the little cottage.  It even smelled like Inuyasha.  "It's familiar to me.  And, somehow, I can see you as being a farmer, wearing those straw hats and carrying a shovel.  A shovel seems to suit you more than that sword of yours."

            He was a bit surprised, before he shrugged.  "I like plants, and plants seem to like me.  They don't care that I'm half human, they just want a bit of water now and then.  Besides, I understand the earth, but I don't understand people.  I don't think that anybody will ever understand people."

            Kagome laughed gently.  "If they're all like you, I can certainly see why.  But I'm not that hard a person to understand, Inuyasha.  And if you ever are confused by me, then you just have to ask, and I'll explain for you.  Okay?"

            Staring into her grinning face and slightly taken aback by her direct offer, he nodded.  "Sure, Kagome." He suddenly received a hug, and his face went red.  "What the hell are you doing that for?"

            "Because you called me by my name again, silly!" she giggled.  She liked hearing him say her name, just not sarcastically.  Kagome gave him another squeeze before she looked up at him, still not letting go of him.  "So what are we doing here? Taking a break?  Or are we not going to the castle?  Oh, are you going to send to your brother in the flames?"

            Inuyasha looked at her like she was crazy. "Ah, no, that's a human mage talent.  I can't do anything like that.  I just figured you might like to wash up."

            "Are you trying to insinuate that I smell?"

            ". . . ."

            "I'm just teasing you, Inuyasha.  I'd love to wash up."  He pointed her in the direction of the bathing house.  She found a closet with soaps and towels, and a small hot springs.  Gathering her supplies by the edge of the rock pool, she slipped into the pool.  She was washing her hair when she felt a shadow over her.  Opening her eyes, a silver haired man stared down at her.  Her hands flew to cover herself up.  "Inuyasha!  What the hell do you think you're doing in here?"

            He whipped around when he realized that she was naked.  He felt like an idiot.  Why shouldn't she be naked?  She was bathing, after all!  "Sorry!  It's just… I didn't want to wait, and time is of the essence, and, I mean, if we're going to be married, then seeing each other naked should be no big deal!  Besides, I can't really see you naked anyway because the water's in the way and everything."

            "You're right," she said.  She sunk lower beneath the waves and swam to the other side of the small pool, turning her back so she wouldn't see Inuyasha naked.  "Time is of the essence.  Your brother or Kikyo could even have signed the treaty of war while we're here, so let's just freshen up and then hit the road."

            She felt the water level rise slightly as he got in, tiny waves splashing her back.  When she was sure that he was settled, she turned around, and immediately blushed.  She had slept with her head on Inuyasha's chest, so she should have already known what it would look like judging by how hard it had been.  Now that she could see it fully, she felt her temperature rise and Kagome had to peel her eyes away, concentrating on scrubbing her knee.

            As far as princes go, Inuyasha was nothing like what she had been suspecting.  Kagome had expected to meet a snotty, stuck up boy.  Instead he was kind, and somewhat innocent for all his anger and swearing, and definitely robust.  Kagome started wondering what it would be like to kiss him on the lips.

            Staring at her, he pursed his lips and arched an eyebrow.  "What are you thinking about?"

            Her cheeks felt even warmer.  "Oh…. Nothing."  Then she recalled that she was engaged to this person.  Still, she could not bring herself to ask him to hold her, and to make her forget that she had once had a friend named Sango, the demon that was following them, or the distance that lay between herself and her home.  She missed her home.  It had never been so far away before.

            Inuyasha deduced it.  "Home sickness?"  When she nodded he moved over and sat closer to her, taking her hand in his.  She might have been scared by his movement, but she didn't, because there was no threat in his gestures or touch.  He was not trying to get close to her, simply to try and comfort her.  Kagome did not look like herself when her eyes had filled with unshed tears.  "Tell me about your parents.  Maybe that will make them seem closer to you, if you talk about them."

            "Okay. . . ."

            And the stories of her family fell straight from the maiden's heart, and indeed, she did feel better.  For it suddenly occurred to her that no matter where she was or what she was doing, her parents and family would always be with her.  More importantly, that they would support her in whatever she was doing.  With a giggle, she ended her brief tale of her little brother's first (and completely inappropriate!) word.  Even Inuyasha laughed.  She liked it.

            Moving a bit closer to him, she licked her lips.  "Inuyasha?"  When he looked at her, there was another fleeting moment when he looked completely and utterly vulnerable.  It made her question if maybe she was taking advantage of him, even though that seemed completely and utterly ridiculous.

            "Yes, Kagome?"  The look slowly disappeared until only nervousness remained.  The water began to feel cold against his skin, as she stared at Kagome.

            She lowered her head, her eyes staring at the rocks by the side of the pool.  She was suddenly very unsure of how to phrase her question.  She wanted to come out and just say it, but she was afraid of scaring him away.  More so, she was scared of the possibility of rejection.  Or even or acceptance.

            "Kiss," she stammered.  She took a deep breath and tried again.  "If I were to kiss you again, you wouldn't be offended, would you?"

            He stared at her like she was crazy.  Inuyasha thought back to Hiten and Yura in the inn.  He thought it looked rather sloppy.  But as he stared at her, he felt like reaching up and running his fingers over her cheek and his thumb over her lips.  He bent down and touched her lips with his own, closing his eyes.  Inuyasha felt her body tense in response.

            Pulling away, he looked at her, her eyes slowly opening.  She closed her mouth, and blushed shyly.  Kagome went to say thank you, not really knowing why, but the demon prince managed to speak first.  "What's the matter?"

            "I… I just wasn't really suspecting that you… you'd kiss me." She managed to get out all the words.  "But, it wasn't that bad, right?"  Really, it had been nothing, just enough for her to feel his lips and think of how soft they were.

            His response was just to kiss her again, and let his inhibitions float away.

            Some time later, they returned to their journey, both of them feeling more at ease with the other.

            Meanwhile, in the middle of nowhere, Shippo was chewing on a dandelion as he walked along.  Normally, Miroku would have been yelling at him to watch what he was eating in case he got sick, but Miroku had his hands full right now.  He glanced over his shoulder to see that Sango was still walking with Miroku's legs wrapped around her waist and their lips so tightly connected that the youngster wondered how they could even breathe.  "It's going to take us forever to get there if she has to carry you all the way!" he complained.

            "Oh, she's not going to carry me all the way.  When she starts getting tired we're going to switch."  Miroku glanced over his shoulder.  "Shippo, I haven't seen Sango in months!  Don't we deserve a break?  Besides, if anything is slowing us down, it's those wee little legs of yours."

            Shippo's ears twitched.  "Fine!  If my legs are slowing us down, then she can carry me too!"

            Sango stopped when he landed on her head.  "_Get off of me all of you!  I am not a pack horse!_"  His hand patted her butt and she kissed him playfully.  "Be good until we get to the castle and then we can catch up, k?  But until then…."  She dropped him and smacked him upside the head.  "Stop being such a pervert and be helpful for once!"

            "Ah!  She loves me!"  When he looked for Sango, she was already far away.  He ran after her.  "I was trying to be helpful!"

            "_Turning me on is not helpful!"  _

            Shippo giggled wildly, still perched on her head.  This was going to be one heck of a fun trip!


	4. The Touch of a Prince

A Feudal Fairy Tale!

AN: Okay, right off the bat, I finished writing this at precisely 11:44.  I've been up late, I'm hyper off of my grandmother's cooking and dying to crack into the Coca-Cola stash, but I have to save it for Wednesday and geology class.  So!  Please ignore the typos, which I grovel for forgiveness for!  And Sleeping Beauty is really bad to watch while writing this fanfic because it doesn't make me bloody stop writing!

I find it's easy to see Inuyasha has a farmer.  In my mind he's wearing one of those funky Chichiri hats (I don't know what they're called, sorry!) and a hoe.  And the hat has little ear cut out of it for his ears. ^_^  And I know what you meant, but in the beginning I thought that if there was going to be an underlying morality of the plot, it was going to be what makes royalty royalty, but that's shot to hell now.  When you get to the end, the point of it all will be clear.  Hopefully. But I'm glad that you liked the chapter.  And as for Sango and Miroku, read the first chapter over again.  Pay close attention to Sango when she walks out of the bushes. *wink* 

Just as general warning:  I'm not responsible for any cavities that will be caused by this chapter.

Chapter Four:  The Touch of a Prince

            "Your Kikyo sounds like a good queen."

            "She is!" Kagome enthusiastically said, nodding.  "King Sesshomaru may not have been a strong brother figure to you, Inuyasha, but from what I've heard, he doesn't sound like a bad king."

            Inuyasha shook his head.  They walked together into the capital city, both of them smiling and altogether happy, earning stares from the people of the large town.  The castle dominated the horizon.  Kagome disliked it, as did Inuyasha.  It was too crowded, after spending the past few days out in the wilderness.  She began to day dream about Inuyasha's cottage, and walking through the trees with him instead of in a demon-filled street.  Maybe then she would have had the courage to reach over and take his hand.

            "Sesshomaru isn't a bad king or anything. He's fair, and that's really what counts.  But more importantly, he lets me do what I want, so I can't complain.  I think on some level he likes me living out in the middle of nowhere because it means I'm not hanging around in Court."  

            The people in the city whispered amongst themselves, but did not stop them.  The armed guards at the gate smelled an approaching gate, but when they saw her guide, they pulled themselves into a tight attention stance and saluted them as they passed.  The castle was enclosed as marble, making it resemble a pearl.  To live inside a pearl!  Kikyo's castle had been breathtaking, but the elegance of this one spoke of a land so confident they did not need to fortify against wars or attacks from marauders.

            Kagome looked over at Inuyasha, who seemed just as surprised as she was at the castle. It was like he had forgotten what it all looked like, although his directions were flawless as they soon found themselves in the court room.  Finding hundreds of demon faces of all size, shape, and description staring down at her, she felt her resolve weaken.  Why had she come here?  These people could be dangerous to her!  She felt her fingers begin to shake before she regained herself.

            And the fact that Inuyasha reached out and took her hand probably helped her courage some.

            Sesshomaru's court was suddenly very quiet.  He stood out of is throne and forced a smile away when he saw it was his brother.  Seshsomaru couldn't quite admit that he loved his brother, but he could admit to himself that he admired him.  Inuyasha was a remarkable person, after all.  Sometimes the king wondered if his brother was aware of just how many people respected him.  Then he saw that his brother was holding the hand of a human girl and he didn't have to force the smile away anymore.

            "This must be Kagome."

            She stopped in surprise but Inuyasha didn't and she was forced to continue.  How was it that Sesshomaru knew who she was?  'I guess Kikyo must have told him what I looked like or something.'

            Inuyasha didn't know about Kikyo's letter, however, and approached his brother, kneeling on one knee and pulling Kagome with him.  She knew how to kneel, damn it!  Why hadn't he told her all of this before?  And then she remembered all the fun they had been having together.  Yes, fun.  Why ruin it with the protocol of a demonic court?

            "Your Majesty, it is indeed the Lady Kagome.  But how did you know?"

            "He knew because I told him."

            Kagome looked into crowd and saw a very angry looking thunder brother glaring at her.  So frightening was his gaze to the human girl that she looked away and stared at the floor, but she still felt his eyes burning into her flesh.

            Sesshomaru shook his head slowly.  He had received Kikyo's letter and had actually been looking forward to the potential marriage.  His brother needed a woman, somebody who could give him direction in life and maybe even something to protect.  Inuyasha had passion, but without someone to love, defend, and trust, what good was it?  And then his hopes had been ruined when Sesshomaru had heard Hiten's story of the transgression on the road.  Part of him doubted that Hiten was telling the truth, but if the king was to start judging punishments based upon doubts instead of proof, it would not be long before the whole country would fall with the throne into chaos.

            "Inuyasha… Kagome, you have been charged with the murder of Manten. How do you plead?"

            Inuyasha looked as though he'd just been slapped.  His hand slipped out of Kagome's.  He stared at Kagome, who just looked as surprised.  He threw his accusing finger at Hiten.  "Brother!  Whatever that demon told you is a lie!  I was there!  He attacked the carriage without reason; a carriage that also carried on it your…."

            "Silence, Inuyasha!"  His brother so rarely said his name that Inuyasha was silenced.  Sesshomaru looked at Kagome, who was paler than normal.  "How do you plead, Kagome?" he asked, his voice almost soothing.

            She wished that she was still holding Inuyasha's hand.  Somehow she felt stronger like that.  But she was alone now, and she could not disregard the fact that she had attacked the thunder brothers back.  "If Manten is dead, then… then yes!"  A gasp went through the crowd of nobles.  They were not only surprised that this thin little human girl had managed to kill the balding demon, but that she was admitting to it.  Her voice rose over all of theirs.  Inuyasha had never seen her look so strong before, or so pretty, as she stood amidst the room of unnatural beauty and defied everything they had been taught.  No wonder Kikyo had chosen her to be engaged to him!

            "If Manten is dead, then yes, it was probably by my hand.  I shot him with an arrow, an arrow filled with my magic.  But it was in self defense that I loosed the arrow.  I did not mean to start I fight, and I was not the instigator.  Manten and his brother attacked my carriage, one that had been provided to me by you yourself, King Sesshomaru!  With disregard for your own laws and your own crest they attacked me simply based on my genealogy, even though the carriage you so generously let me use should have protected me, as everyone knows there is not a single demon that would dream of crossing you!  But apparently there are!  I made my shot to protect myself, without even aiming, as Hiten went to attack me.  It was by mistake that Manten was shot.  I meant only to use my purifying magic to try and save myself, hoping that it disrupt Hiten's lightning enough so that I might live."

            "So Manten was shot, and your arrow pierced threw the attack?"  Sesshomaru was impressed, and he was not so awed lightly.  But then she shook her head, and his bubble burst.

            "It pierced the attack, my Lord, but not enough that it would have saved me.  As I have said, I was not even aiming for Manten.  It was purely by accident that I struck him.  How can I can be guilty of murder, King Sesshomaru, when the intent in my heart was simply to live?  No, my Lord, it was Prince Inuyasha who saved me in the nick of time from the attack."

            This seemed to impress Sesshomaru even more.  He tapped his fingers once, twice, and thrice, and then stopped.  "You words and honesty do you much credit, Lady Kagome, but they cannot save you, I'm afraid.  There is no proof of such an attack.  And so…."

            "What about Sango?" she interrupted.  Another string of voices ran through the crowd.  She didn't know if it was from her rudeness interrupting the King or from the name.  Kagome curtseyed, brushing so prettily that the demon next to her had to wonder if it was a practiced gesture.  "Forgive me, King Sesshomaru, but there is proof.  Firstly, your carriage never returned.  Secondly, my friend perished in the attack, the Lady Sango."  Another whisper circled the room.  Whatever Sango had been doing her whole life, it automatically had an impact in the demon world as well.  "And thirdly, I can still show you the hole that was caused by Hiten's attack."

            Inuyasha tossed a smile over his shoulder in the direction of said demon.  Not only did she have guts and beauty, she was smart too!  Inuyasha began to wonder if maybe he wouldn't mind coming to court more often he could watch Kagome set everybody on their ears.  "Feh."

            She slipped him an inquiring look, wondering what the sound was for.  She wasn't doing that badly, was she?

            The king sighed.  "All those proofs are strong, Lady Kagome, to prove that there was indeed a fight.  But how shall you prove that it was Hiten and Manten who made the first attack?"

            "I can."  A few of the ladies fanned themselves.  Inuyasha had not spoken in court for so long that they forgot how strong and commanding his voice could be sometimes.  "I saw the whole thing, and I heard everything.  Hiten attacked first."

            He looked over at Hiten.  The demon king shook his head.  "Very well then.  I hate to play devil's advocate, Inuyasha, but how do you prove that it was not her intent to kill Manten?"

            Kagome rubbed her temple.  After glancing at the smug look on Hiten's face, Inuyasha knew that he was the one that was making Kagome senses go haywire.  The demon had it out for both of them, Inuyasha knew it.  Their eyes caught, and there was a shadow of hopelessness in Kagome's face that Inuyasha gladly would have bled to banish.  "I don't think we can.  But for what it's worth, I for one know that she's telling the truth."

            Sesshomaru sighed.  "Then I'm afraid I have no choice.  Lady Kagome Higurashi, I find you guilty of. . . ."

            "No!"  Inuyasha saw her head hang in shame, and knew that he couldn't let this happen.  He knew the law, after all.  The sentence would be lighter for her, as the attack had been provoked, but it was still twenty years in a demon prison.  Not even her magic, as strong as it was, would protect her from being surrounded by demons for two decades.  He stood between his brother and his fiancée.  "Brother, I demand trial by combat."

            "What?" There was a look of fear in Hiten's eyes that made Inuyasha feel pleased.  He shook his head and then grabbed his sword.  "Alright.  I agree.  I will fight Kagome."

            Now he managed to smile, and it was broad and the most devilish Kagome had ever seen.  "Wrong, you will not fight Kagome.  No human may fight a demon in the trial, as the chances are already heavily in the favor of the demon, and most humans would end up dying soon even if they kill their enemy.  Jaken, do not the laws say that in this type of case, as rare as they are, a human may appoint a champion?"

            Taken by surprise, the small demon jumped, but then nodded.  "Aye, Lord Inuyasha.  That is indeed the law."  His broad smile did not seem as plotting as usual as he explained it Kagome.  "Lady, you may ask any demon present to fight for your honor and defend your good name, and as long as they accept, then you may have your champion."

            Many demons stepped closer to the fringe, either eager to please such a rare human or else to get a chance to thrash Hiten.  Kagome looked at them, and felt herself blush.  It was the times like this that she found herself believing she really could be a princess.  But Kagome had eyes only for Inuyasha.  "I won't ask you to if you don't want to," she said, unsure of what she would do if she asked him to fight for her and he said no.  Or worse, if he said yes and then fell in battle.  These things were usually for the death.

            "I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't think that I could win."  He winked at her.  "Nobody's gonna slander the name of my fiancée."

            Kagome realized that the thing with Inuyasha was that he had a full range of facial expressions, and all of them were adorable, but it was emotions had trouble expressing.  Expression and emotion, they were often connected, but to Inuyasha they were two different things.

            To her surprise, he bent down on one knee and took her hand, kissing the back of it lightly.  Kagome felt her face erupt.  She'd forgotten that he really was a prince.  Her façade as nobility might be completely and utterly fake, but Inuyasha was _real_.  His lips were warm on her skin, and his fingers soft, lying about how easily he could swing the sword at his waist, or the work he had undergone to become armed with sleek muscle and a fiery nature that Kagome greatly admired.

            'How long does it take you to fall in love with somebody?'

            He stood up but did not release her hand.  He gave a tiny bow to Sesshomaru, but Kagome was too shocked to do anything.  "I will be Kagome's champion."

            Sesshomaru nodded.  "Very well.  Tomorrow, at dawn, Inuyasha and Hiten will fight for Kagome's life."

            "What?!"  She looked at Inuyasha, and found him wearing a mask of stability, his face not moving and not a single muscle revealing what he was thinking.  Kagome felt like she choking.  Her life?  Her honor, and maybe imprisonment she could understand, but her life?  "Inuyasha?"

            He pulled her down when Sesshomaru swept past them, and refused to say anything.  He led her down a maze of hallways before they came to a large set of doors.  He walked right in, and when she saw the room, she realized they were the chambers he had when he stayed at the castle.  The belongings she saw screamed they were his, and the room smelled like him… and then she realized that the room was also covered in a fine layer of dust.

            Inuyasha threw open the windows after shutting the doors.  "Sorry it's a bit musty in here.  I don't come her often, and I don't let anybody in here to clean because I don't want them to touch any of my stuff."

            "But… the doors?"

            "Oh, magic.  There's a lot of it.  All demons have a certain bit of it.  I suppose that it means in human standards, it's the people who are like you who are the demons.  You're the ones with magic, after all."  He paused at he let her consider that.  He dusted off some of his books.  He could use one to relax.  Inuyasha glanced over at her.  "Why are you so pale?  Oh, right.  Well, what did you think it meant when you chose me as champion?"

            "That you'd fight for me.  What am I missing, Inuyasha?  How come he said that you would be fighting for my life?"  She sat down on the bed without really registering it was a bed.  Her eyes turned wide as she felt despair wrap its chilly arms around her.  What the hell was going on?  But then a real set of arms wrapped around her, and the despair was gone.  She recognized the scent, the touch, and even the feeling that came with the protective gesture as being Inuyasha's.  Her cheeks burned.  "Inuyasha."

            He gulped.  "S… Sorry.  I mean, I thought you knew.  A champion isn't like a human one, Kagome.  It's different.  And Hiten, as the prosecutor, gets to choose the weapon, which means I won't be able to use my sword.  He'll probably pick spears."

            She shook her head.  "Inuyasha! You're not making any sense!  What's going on?"  Kagome felt his arms about to move off of around her hips, but she touched him, and he stilled.  She didn't want him to move.  "I never meant to kill him."

            Inuyasha stopped kneeling behind her on the bad and sat down behind her, his legs touching hers.  She was practically sitting in his lap.  But it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to him.  How had this happened?  His heart was pumping furiously.  Inuyasha knew exactly how it happened.  She'd opened up to him, showed him kindness, something that had long been alien to him.  Kagome didn't wince like demons when they saw the human part of him, and she didn't draw back in fear like a human when he saw the demon part.  Well, there had been that one time, but that was beside the point.  He'd come to understand that going to bed with a human and walking up with a demon might have been just a little frightening for her, to say the least.

            In the brief time they had been together, she'd showed him all the good in the world.  She had showed him the joy of kissing, the pleasures that come from simple company.  Kagome had showed him unconditional trust, and partnership.  She showed him that sometimes strong people needed to ask for help, but that it didn't make them any less brave or strong.  In fact, to Inuyasha it seemed that being able to admit feelings made people stronger rather than weaker.

            Which is why it was easy for him to admit to himself that he loved her.  Inuyasha was almost painfully aware of how much he cared for her.  But was he in love with her?  Maybe time could tell.  Maybe one day.  But until then he'd be damned if he was going to let someone like Hiten lock her away from the sun she seemed to reflect in everything she did, or to take away the life that had touched his.

            "You're beautiful," he muttered, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.  He felt her stiffen, but then she relaxed and leaned against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder so that she could see him from the corner of her eye.  Inuyasha stared at her, and saw only a shining light that would make even the highest angel jealous.

            That, that was what real beauty was.

            Kagome stared at him.  Did he have any idea how cute those ears were?  She ran her fingers up and down his arm absentmindedly, her conscious debating whether or not his eyes were gold or amber in composition.  Wasn't it funny that she had come to love him such a short amount of time?  Was it magic, or was Kikyo just a really good match maker? If it was magic, it was alien to her.

            Inuyasha was strange.  She could never quite figure him out.  Sometimes he seemed so shy and innocent, and she figured that those were the times when she had slipped past the shields he had long ago erected, as tough as the stuff that made his eyes. People said they were the eyes to the soul, but Kagome doubted that was true about Inuyasha.  She'd argue that they were a mirror to his heart, becoming warm one second and hard the next.

            'Maybe the reason why I can't figure him out is because he doesn't really belong anywhere,' she thought, her other hand raising to trace his cheek.  Her heart seemed to sigh in her chest.  'A prince who dreams of living as a farmer, a knight who doesn't seem to like saving ladies, a demon who's too human to be a good demon, and a human who has too much power to be fully human.'  She lingered on that last thought a long time.  Maybe she was a lot like Inuyasha.

            In the end, all she could say was that Inuyasha was himself.  There wasn't a lot of other people she could say that about.  He was individual.  

            And that was beautiful too.

            She didn't care if Inuyasha could never say the words.  Kagome doubted that she could say them herself, fearing that it might make him become scared of her.  He had never been shone anything, and then she was planning on blurting out that she loved him?  No.  That was a disaster waiting to happen.

            She felt tears fill her eyes as he bottom lip began to shake. She really hadn't meant to kill Manten!  "You're pretty beautiful yourself."  Kagome laughed meekly when he gently caught her tear before it could dampen her blushing cheek.  "Or would that be insulting you?"

            Inuyasha heard himself chuckle.  "I don't think you could ever insult me."  And then the walls slammed down.  "You're too gentle to be that harsh."  But even then they were not as strong as they had been before.  Kagome had gotten under his skin, and he knew that he would never be rid of her again.  Inuyasha did not remove his arms, but instead gave her a kiss that good only be described as noble in origin.  "And I know that you never wanted to hurt him.  You don't have to defend yourself to me, Kagome.  But I'll always defend you.  I won't let them kill you, Kagome."

            "How can you be so hopeful about the future, Inuyasha?"

            "Because love has to conquer all, Kagome."


	5. Pheonix Heart

AN:  HIYAA!  So, ok, I thought about what you guys said about Sango being so forward with Miroku.  Well, basically, my muse kicked my ass.  I wrote most of this in an hour or two, and I have to admit, that it's one of my fluffiest pieces up to date. *nods*  THIS IS FOR ALL YOU S&M FANS OUT THERE! *giggles*  I love putting their initials like that.  And I went over this trying to find all the mistakes I could, so I'm going to blame any further typos on Cuddles (my comp)!  Sorry, Cuddles, but I have to blame somebody.  *hugs her comp*

**Squeakyinuears**, I like plot twists.  Plot twists are good.  My stories have a tendency to switch around right in the middle of a story, and was once important becomes a subplot.  And, what can I say, I wanted it to be a surprise.  How do we know he's really dead, hm?  Maybe it's all a lie….!  **Lily, is the reasonably in character Sango?  Because if it is, then this chapter should explain everything.  (Long live AU's!) **

Yeah, so this chapter is 12 pages long.  I hope you all like it!  Like I said: muse, my ass, kicked.  Thoroughly!  I had only planned on this being a little side story, but I guess it lives for chapter 6!  And speaking of which: help!   Gimme ideas for the battle between Hiten and Inuyasha!  Anything!  I'm the PoF!  I can't write battle scenes!!

Chapter Five

Pheonix Heart

            Dawn of the next morning found Inuyasha and Kagome sprawled out asleep.  He'd insisted she take the bed based upon the fact that was "proper", and she fought against him, pointing out that he needed to sleep in a comfortable bed so that he could fight well for her.  Kagome didn't want to see him die, and in the midst of their heated argument, she'd blurted that out to him.

            To her surprise, Inuyasha looked as though he had been slapped.  A strange look passed over him.  And then he asked her a question that almost made her blurt everything out.  "Why?"

            Why did she not want to see him die?  She didn't want to see anybody die!  Kagome balled her fists.  "Well, it's kind of difficult to say!  But I… I care what happens to you, and you don't want you to die!  Especially not for me, not defending me!  You should have just let me be tossed into jail, if it means that you'll be okay."

            "Feh.  Stupid feminine emotions," he muttered beneath his breath.  Inuyasha glared at her.  "Just take the damn bed, Kagome."

            Feeling hurt that he hadn't made a response (as she couldn't hear his mutterings) she 'humphed' herself and wriggled under the covers.  Fine!  If he wanted to be stubborn, then let him be cold and miserable!  As that was the last thought she had before sleep claimed her, Kagome awoke feeling perfectly miserable.  Inuyasha was already awake and washed, standing at the window and watching the sunrise.  He glanced over his shoulder when he heard her groan.  "Are you alright?"

            She rubbed her head and flopped back into bed.  "I feel like crap.  Tell me that it was all just a dream.  Tell me that Manten is really dead and that you're not really going to fight for me."

            Inyasha's face softened just slightly, his black eyebrows not nearly so pierced.  "I wish I could, Kagome.  But it's all reality.  Did you sleep well?"

            "I think I was too stressed to actually sleep, but yeah, I suppose.  I feel okay, so I guess that must mean I fell asleep last night."  She stretched in the bed, slowly sitting back up and working out the worst of the tangles in her hair.  "How about you?  I mean, I still feel really bad about kicking you out of bed last night."

            Shaking his head, he told her that he'd slept just fine.  He'd never understand women.  He tried to be a gentleman and let her have the bed, but no.  She couldn't just accept it.  In truth, Inuyasha had been himself: staying up most of the night watching Kagome protectively and thinking.  Was it just because that she was stubborn that she had refused the bed?  Or was it that she disliked the idea of sleeping in the same bed he had once inhabited?  But then, if that was the case, then why had she been so willing to sleep beside him in their travels?  Was it simply because of the fact that they were outside, and that an extra body meant more protection and more warmth?  And if that was the case, then why had she kissed him?

            He didn't hear her move until she was close enough to touch him, he was so completely entwined in the mystery of Kagome Higurashi.  She brushed his hair away from his face and went to tuck it behind his ear before she recalled that his ears weren't where they were on a normal human.  Her cheeks went pink, so she let her hand fall to his shoulder, toying with the ends of his sliver hair.  His eyes widened at her touch, once again becoming the eyes of the man she had first seen: filled with surprise and innocence that made her feel as if she were somehow dirtying him by wanting to reach out and touch him, to dream that he was holding her.  "What's the matter?" she asked softly.

            "You're… touching me."

            Kagome let her hand fall away.  "Sorry."

            "No!"  His shoulders sagged slightly in defeat, the closest he could come to apologizing for his sharp outburst.  His voice softened.  "No, I wasn't… complaining, it just surprises me when you do that."

            "Why would it surprise you?"

            "Because I'm not used to it."

            Oh.

            Inuyasha looked down at the slender hands that were now clutched tightly together.  He reached out to them, his fingers touching the back of her lightly.  Kagome stared at him, practically in awe of the concentrated look on his face as he touched her skin.  He was so gentle that she couldn't even feel the tips of his claws.  "I thought that you might not like it," she admitted.

            "I never said that," Inuyasha growled softly.

            The mystical moment was broken when somebody knocked on the door.  Inuyasha pulled away from Kagome, the innocent look in his eyes hardening away.  He told the person to enter, and a young demonness pushing a cart entered quietly, never lifting her eyes off the floor, curtseyed, and left.  Inuyasha rubbed his hands.  "Yes!  Food!"  He opened the metal lid and looked at it.  Porridge.  Bah.  But it was better than nothing.  All he'd had in three days was what he could find out in the woods.  Porridge suddenly looked like a wonderful breakfast.  He passed a bowl to Kagome.

            Kagome shook her head.  She felt her stomach revolt at the thought of eating food, she was so worried, but she also knew that Inuyasha needed all the strength he could get.  "No.  You eat my share.  I don't think that I could eat anything this morning."

            He took a few bites, watching her stare out the window.  Soon he put down the half empty bowl to stare at her outright.  "Are you worrying about me or yourself?"

            "Both," she replied.

            "Feh."  Inuyasha picked the bowl back up, pushing around the gruel.  Why in the world she bother to worry about him?  "Kagome, you don't need to worry about me.  I can take Hiten.  I wouldn't have volunteered to defend you if I couldn't win.  And as long as there's fight in me, I won't let anything happen to you."

            "Why would you do that for me?"  She turned away from the window and Inuyasha saw tears running down her cheeks which he had not noticed before.  Kagome clenched her hands, not bothering to dry her cheeks.  He put the bowl down again.  "You have no reason to do that.  You could have let me go to jail and you could have gone on doing your job, and I'd never question your actions.  I'd rather live in a hell than a heaven knowing you weren't there."

            It was ridiculous.  They'd only spent three days together.  Three days!  But he knew all about her, even though she was still revealing herself to him, layer by layer.  And she knew all about him, even though he had not lowered the shields that had kept him from feeling the corrosive loneliness that circled his heart, a demon all its own, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

            At the sight of this new Kagome, this new Kagome who was strong enough to cry in front of him, those defenses shattered, and he found that the loneliness had been vanquished, now that she was at his side.  Inuyasha felt himself surrendering.

            Grabbing her arms, he pulled her into this lap and kissed her soundly, silencing off his confused name as it tried to escape from her mouth.  Kagome relaxed against him, not the least bit scared by the fire she had seen burning in his eyes when he had taken her into his arms.  He let go when she was breathless, but still she clung to him, her head listening to his heartbeat and he all too gladly wrapped his arms around her shoulders.  "I do have a reason, Kagome.  You're a good person. You don't deserve to be locked away into some hellhole.  You belong out in the sun, where you can grow, and out among people where you can spread around whatever it is in your heart that makes you… that makes you Kagome."

            He'd been about to say: that makes you love someone like me, but he had changed it at the last second.

            Another rap on the door came all too soon.  Jaken opened it before anyone told him to entire.  He didn't even blink at seeing the two of them cuddled together on the window seat, Kagome stretched out between his legs like a captured mermaid, with her arms wrapped around his neck and her head over his heart.  Perhaps what kept it from saying anything was the look in Inuyasha's eyes as he glared at Jaken for interrupting.

            Dog demon?  Forget it!  Inuyasha looked more like a wolf demon defending his territory.

            "Lord Inuyasha, King Sesshomaru says that it is time."

            "Fine, Jaken.  I'll be down in a minute."  He turned back to Kagome when the door closed.  He heard her mutter something about it being 'so soon'.  He didn't wish it were so soon either.  Inuyasha was comfortable like this, and he hadn't even gotten to finish his breakfast yet.  His grip slowly loosened, but hers did not, until her hand slid forward to caress his cheek, and there she lingered a moment longer.  The look in her eyes and the sensation of her fingers on his skin took his breath away once more.

            "Inuyasha… if you die on me, I'll never talk to you again!"

~*~

            By dawn that same morning, the campsite of the two demons and Shippo was already cleaned up, and they were already walking along.  Sango, as much as she loved Miroku, was already walking briskly along, so when Miroku teasingly leaned over and felt her behind, he received no less than the usual slap in the face, an insult, and then he was ignored.

            Miroku's face fell slightly.  He understood her now.  While she had been saddened by Kagome's death Sango had found solace in his arms, and now that they were only another day's march from the capital, she had reverted back to Sango the demon slaying huntress, rather than Sango, the woman who loved a wandering Buddhist thief.  But that same Buddhist monk refused to look a gift horse in the mouth.  Any day when he could hold Sango in his arms and be held in return was a good day, even when the threat of war dangled overhead and there were tears hidden behind her flattering smile.

            He rubbed his cheek, not disheartened for long.  But within a step or two he slowed, peering around at the forest.  Sango felt that he was not behind her, and turned to see him pull his robes closer, as if they might help to ward off an unseasonable cold.  "I sense something is wrong," he muttered, trying not to sound too ominous.

            Sango nodded. "I know.  I've been feeling it since this morning also.  Whatever it is, it's not dangerous."  She tapped her nose.  "It doesn't itch, so if something is out there, it doesn't mean us danger.  I keep feeling that I should be at the capital."

            Ahead of them, Shippo stopped.  His chubby face turned pale.  "Death.  Miroku!  Sango!"  He called their names quickly.  "I smell death."  And then next thing  Sango knew there was a fox kit on her shoulders, as if that spot were safer.

            Miroku veered off into the direction Shippo had been smelling in before he had become frightened.  "Don't worry, Sango my love, I'll take care of it."

            "Like heck you will!  I'm coming too."  Her voice implied a smile to the precariously placed fox demon.  "Don't worry about it Shippo.  It's probably nothing.  Miroku and I are here to protect you."

            "Protect me?  Bah!  I'm older than both of you put together!"  Yet the poor little demon screamed when Miroku suddenly reappeared from the bushes, burying his face in Sango's neck.

            Sango looked up at the man whom she had loved since when they were little.  His dark eyes were serious.  Sango asked what it was quietly, as if Shippo might not have heard her query that way.  His answer was simple, both in size and response.  Manten.

            They continued on their way.  Walking with Shippo on her shoulder and Miroku at her side, Sango couldn't help but think of their life together, or rather, as distance kept them further apart than she'd like, of their past together.

~*~

He was a lecher right from the start.  They had first met when they were five years old.  Miroku had never been to the palace before.  It was the birthday of Queen Kikyo, so the palace was richly decorated.  His parents might not have brought him, except that they had been talking to their friends and had discovered that many other people were bringing their children.  Sango, on the other hand, practically grew up at the palace.  Both her parents worked there, so she knew every nook of it off by heart.

            She was in the nursery when she first met him.  None of the other kids liked her, so she sat off by herself.  They all thought she was weird.  When they had asked her what she planning on doing when she grew up, Sango told them that she was going to be a hero.  After that, they had never asked her anything else.  The girls all wanted to dress in frilly dresses, although often the boys looked her way and smiled.  A girl becoming a knight would be cool.

            He was dressed like anybody else, with breeches and a nice shirt, although his were all dark.  The dark clothes suited him better, making him look serious and pale, his eyes and rattail blending into the depths of his black clothes.  But then she saw the eyes, and he saw that he was not all that serious at all.  In fact, there a sparkle in his eyes which made the room appear more inviting.

            The girls all flew his way, cooing over the stranger in their midst.  But he had caught Sango's curious gaze, as well as the loneliness she hid there.  He pushed past the other girls to stare at her.  Her eyes were a rich brown shade, more golden than her equally brown hair.  Her skin was tanned from playing outside, and though she was only five, he could tell by her frame that she was strong, and would become stronger with each year.  She was wearing a pink dress, and he somehow doubted that she had been the one to select it.

            "Miss, will you bear my children?"

            There was a moment of silence as everyone stared at them.  Then there was a sudden slap, an indignant huff, and the next thing Miroku knew his cheek was stinging and Sango was brushing by him.

            A nurse came running in, having heard the noise.  She knew from experience exactly who the culprit was.  "Sango!  Are you starting to fight again?"  Kaede's older face peered down at Sango, and the anger quickly vanished.  "Sango, sweetie, if you don't stop fighting, you're going to worry your pretty dress.  There will be plenty of time for fighting when you're older."  Kaede liked the idea of a female knight, but she knew that she could not play favorites. She held her hand out for the little girl to take.  "Come on."

            Miroku also knew what would happen.  He rushed forward, his cheek as dark a pink as Sango's dress.  He had only heard the last of the conversation, missing the girl's name but knowing she was going to be taken off and punished for hitting him.  "Miss, it wasn't her fault.  I provoked her.  I asked her to bear my children."

            Kaede was so shocked by the news that she threw up her hands and went off to eat some of the pastries in the nurse's station.  Let children be children!  'Honestly,' she smiled, 'they seemed to be getting older and older each year.'

            "Why did you do that?" Sango demanded. 

            He shrugged.  "Because it was the right thing to do.  I asked you a question, and that was your response."  Then he smiled at her, his cute cheeks turning a shade of red that only a five year old boy's could.  "But don't think that I'm going to take that as an answer."  He giggled.  "You look cute when you turn pink like that, miss. . . ."

            The next year Miroku fell ill with chicken pox.  It was not serious, but they did not want to give it to the other children, many of whom were still young enough that an infection too early might prove more hurtful than beneficial.  Sango and Miroku did not see each other for two years.

            Their second meeting went slightly better than their first.  Sango was sitting outside, once again by herself.  And once again, she had been shoved into a dress.  'At least this time it isn't pink.'  She sat, watching the stars.

            "What are you thinking of?"  A boy came and sat beside her.  He had dark hair, and was tall for his age, his eyes a shade somewhere between grey and violet.

            "That one day I want to be able to touch the stars, and give them to people who can't see them."  Sango regretted her words almost immediately.  She had been caught off guard by this youth, and had spoken her thoughts out loud.  But she glanced at him, and saw him nodding, staring at the sky with him.

            "M'lady, if I had the power to give you wings to make your journey easier, I would gladly give them to you without hesitation or price."  She was surprised by his words, eloquent at such a childish age, but he had been taken aback by hers as well.  They were so selfless, those thoughts.  And so imaginative, too!  Miroku smiled slightly.  "Well, perhaps I would have one price, and that would be that I might be able to call you my own angel, because I had given you the power of heavenly flight."

            A frown briefly crossed her lips before she leaned back.  Her toes barely touched the floor.  "If it helped me to achieve my dream, I don't expect I would mind very much.  You see, I want to be a knight and help people.  I have no interest in Court or politics, just in helping to defend my country and lending a hand where it is needed the most."

            "Selfless, imaginative, beautiful and compassionate!  Are you certain that you don't have wings already, miss?" he asked softly.  When she gave no answer, he reached over and took her hands in his.  "M'lady, will you be the mother of my own little angels?"

            Recognition fired up in her brown eyes.  "YOU!"  Sango struck him hard, and did not stop hitting him, a 'thwap' echoing each syllable.  "You! You!  You!  You pervert!  You're only seven years and your asking people to bear your children!  You lecherous little weasel!  You corrupt, insignificant. . .  I'm going to kill you!"

            Kaede heard the roar from inside the nursery. She looked out to see Sango sitting on a pinned little boy.  She was about to go and drag Sango away, as she often did when one of the other girls living around the palace insulted the future knight, but she paused when she realized that Sango was, in fact, not beating the little boy, but tickling him.  She smiled.  Kids would be kids.

            Miroku was laughing so hard that there were tears in his eyes.  He wriggled underneath Sango, and she stopped when he begged for mercy.  He stared up at her, drying off his wet cheeks.  "Would it have helped, m'Lady, if I had asked your name first, before asking you to beg my children?"

            She thwapped him again.  Sango paused, before getting off of him.  "My name's Sango."

            "I'm Miroku.  That's a very pretty name, m'Lady."

            And so their second meeting ended.  Their third started out much the same.  Sango sat outside, once again wearing a blue dress.  "You looked cuter in the pink one," Miroku said, jumping down beside her on the metal bench.  He smiled at her as he took the seat, uninvited, though greatly welcomed.  "It matched your blush when I stood up for you."

            "I didn't blush!" she argued.  "I don't blush!  That's something that ladies do, and I'm no Lady!!"

            "Oh, but you are.  You are my Lady Sango."  He noticed that she was tall enough now that her feet were firm against the ground as she sat.  "And I like that much better than having you be my angel.  Angels seem so far away.  I much prefer you being my Lady."

            "Well, don't get used to it, because one day it's going to be 'Sir' Sango!" she whipped.  Sango could already see her course laid out before her: she only had to weight 4 more years, and then she would go off to be a page.  She glanced over at Miroku.  "What about you?  Will you one day be 'Sir' Miroku?"

            He shrugged.  "I don't know.  Unlike you, I go wherever the spirit moves me.  You're like one of them, those trees.  You stand firmly in the earth, reaching towards the sky and the dreams that lay there.  But me, I wander where I will, moving with the wind."

            Sango thought about this.  "If that's the case, then I better be careful."

            Miroku looked at her quizzically.  "Be careful of what?  I greatly admire your determination.  You know exactly what you want, and nothing in life will stop your from getting that."

            "Yes, but one gust from that wind of yours, and if I'm not strong enough, I may crack in half, and then what would I do?"

            He smiled at her, a grin that made his fun side all the more obvious.  "And so in the three hundred and sixty five days in which you have been absent in my life, you've also gained more wisdom.  I should wish that my child would have your brains."

            "You're pretty smart yourself, Miroku."  Then she realized what he was implying, and smacked him upside the head, her punishment gentle.

            "Lost your punch, m'Lady Sango?"  A second hit proved him more than incorrect.  "Then why was the first so much more lighter?"

            "Well," she rationalized.  "I can't very well punish you for being less direct about it.  That was smart, that one.  It took me a minute to figure out what you were implying."  As if he liked the response she normally gave, Miroku took her hands in his and asked her his favorite question out right.

            This time Kaede didn't even bother going outside to check on what was going on.

            For the next four years, Kikyo's birthday was Sango's favorite day.  It even beat Christmas.  Sango was old enough now to have friends, although all of them were male.  The girls still thought she was a freak, and most refused to associate with her.  But Miroku, she was often forced to acknowledge, was her favorite friend.  They always had conversations together, although he managed to sneak in 'the Question' to each and every single one of them.

            When she was eleven years old, Sango was sent to the Academy, where she would learn to become a knight.  The people there welcomed her with open arms, but Sango suspected that having the Queen glaring at them had something to do with them.  But when she showed them that many of her skills excelled that of the males, they quickly grew to accept her.

            On her first day there, she was practically bouncing off the walls.  She kept looking for Miroku, unsure of whether or not he would be there.  By the end of the first week, Sango had to accept that he was not going to become a knight.  Fall changed to winter, and it was then that she next got to see Miroku.

            She was studying inside the library when a tall boy dressed in robes walked into the room. Sango was immediately aware of the person, but it wasn't until the staff of a monk jingled that she actually looked up.  She pushed back her chair and smiled back.  "Miroku, you lecherous little man.  You've decided to become a monk?  With a smile like that, I find it hard to believe they let a corrupt pervert like you even walk on sacred ground, let alone do anything else."

            "Now, m'Lady, is that anyway to greet your friend?"  Suddenly there was a girl pressing herself against him, and he was being tightly hugged.  He put down the staff to hug her back.  "That's more like it."  He kissed her cheek, and she made no protest, except to hug him so tightly one had to wonder where such a young girl could find so much strength.  "I missed you too."

            After that, their meetings were more frequent, though not as steady.  Sometimes they would see each other every day for a week or two, and then she wouldn't catch so much of a shadow of him for three, sometimes seven, months. The one night they always shared was the night of the Queen's birthday.

            Sango grew in leaps and bounds, both physically and in skill.  She was stronger than a fair section of males, and faster too.  As she began to change into a woman, she gained a willowy figure which belittled her strength.  Many of the younger boys couldn't believe that she could even so much as lift a sword, and Sango was all too happy to prove them wrong.  The sword was by far her worst weapon, but she practiced incessantly, knowing that such a skill was necessary to be learned if she wanted to be a knight.

            In her 16th year, everything changed.  The Queen's birthday was quickly approaching, and she had not seen Miroku in seven months.  Since she had started her study to become a knight, it was the longest she had been without seeing him, or even having word from him.  Lately, Sango had been receiving mail from Miroku.  The contents of it often made her blush.

            She'd kept every single one of them.

            Knowing that Miroku was going to be present that night, she once again wore a dress.  Miroku had said that he liked the pink on her, so that was what she wore.  Her male friends all gawked at her when she entered.  They teased her about trying to be feminine, and she took it good naturedly.

            When Miroku entered the courtroom, he was bombarded with girls.  Sango hung back in the shadows, watching as he talked briefly with each girl, making them laugh or blush, as he slowly unhooked them from his arm.  He stopped and talked with Sango's companions, but she had already moved away.  He looked a lot taller.  In the seven months, he'd started hitting puberty.  His shoulders were broad, his legs long under his robes.  They way he carried himself reminded her of her fellow nights.  He might have become a monk, but she could tell he was a fighter.  The robes did him credit.

            There was a pang of jealousy as she thought of how girls had clung off him and he had teased them.  She had thought that he was the only one that he tried to turn red.  'Get off it, Sango.  He's your friend!  You have no romantic attachment to him at all, so why should you start to care about that now?  It's not like he's your boyfriend or anything!'

            Her friends pointed Miroku in her direction.  When he turned around, his eyes widened and she completely forgot that she had even been jealous.  His eyes took in everything, from the low cut of her dress to the curves of her hips, from the muscles lining her bare arms to the way her hair pooled around her. She'd worn it down, just for him.  "Sango, you. . . ."

            "Yes?"

            "You have breasts!"

            SLAP!

            "Well, you do."

            She frowned.  "Well, I am a girl, you imbecile!  Or were you like them, and did you forget that I was really a female?  Your letters would have suggested otherwise!"  A finger pressed against her mouth, to silence her before she could make a scene.

            "M'Lady, I think you look beautiful.  Even without the wings I once promised you, you look like an angel."  He removed his hand and offered Sango his arm. "Shall we take a walk through gardens, my Lady? There is a beautiful full moon this eve.  I'm afraid that it outshines your precious stars, but it's a pretty sight, nonetheless."

            She felt herself grow pink as she took his arm.  Sango felt like she was floating.  He thought she was beautiful.  They walked outside, and strolled through the gardens and took a seat on their favorite bench.   The moon really was pretty.  His arm untwined from hers and wrapped around her shoulder, drawing her close.  Sango didn't mind at all.

            As if her lack of angry response worried him, Miroku's words were nervous.  "M'Lady, I have never once forgotten that you are female.  As of late the thought of you has been torturing my mind as I hear stories of the growing hatred between this country and the demonic one.  If there is no peace, it will be you fighting demons, one day, my Lady."

            "I know.  Let them come, if they must."  She placed her head on his shoulder, sighing.  Perhaps it was something in the air that was making her feel weightless and her brain fuzzy.  "Miroku, why do you rarely call me by my name?  I can count on both my hands the times you've called me 'Sango', without a Lady or some other feminine term with it."

            "That's easy, Sango.  You're going to be a knight, but first and foremost, you are a woman to me.  I should like to remind you that I look at you and I see a woman is a noble not only in title but in heart as well."  He slowly turned to look at her.  "I should also like to remind you that you are a girl.  No, a woman now."  His hand then slipped down to her derrier and felt it lightly.  

            "Pervert!"  She slapped him across the face before she placed his hand on her hip and settled her head back on his shoulder.  Since when did Miroku smell so good?

            Her attack didn't phase him the slightest.  "My lady Sango, I have a question to ask you. . . ."  His cheek was struck again.  Miroku sighed.  "Not that one!  Will you let me finish?"  He cupped her cheek with the hand that had been around her waist and tilted her face up to his.  His eyes stared into hers, passionate to a degree that might have been comical to the girl, if it wasn't so serious.

            Her heart was lodged in her throat.

            "Sango, my love, can I kiss you?"

            Her cheeks burned red and she let out a scared sound that she barely even recognized as coming from her own mouth.  Her heart moved enough so that she could talk to him.  "Mirou, I…I would be honored if you gave me my first kiss."

            Surprise dawned on his face.  She had never been kissed before?  But she was sixteen!  Some noble girls were already married at that age!  Yet as he thought about it, he had to admit that it made sense.  The guys she was friends with saw her as another boy, while Miroku was all too aware that she was a female, and one fully capable of reaching into his chest and pulling out his heart if she wanted.

            He lowered his face, and watched as she tilted her face to meet his, her eyes slowly closing.  Miroku brushed her cheek, marveling in the heat of her blush.  She was so strong, and yet she still acted like a maiden when he was around.  His lips brushed hers.  They were soft, despite the concentrated frown she wore in sword practice.  Her breath danced over his skin.  He tried to memorize her expectant face before he actually pressed his lips against hers.  They lingered there a moment before they moved a moment, her mouth moving to follow his as if lead there by magic.

            His hands moved to hold her as she leaned harder against him.  Sango stopped suddenly when she felt something hard pressing into her back.  She stared at him as she pulled away, wonderment echoing as she found his eyes confused.  There was no sign of embarrassment on her face, but she slowly pulled a hand off the small of her back and found his right limb wearing a glove with beads around it.

            "Miroku?"

            "I screwed up," he said simply, sitting up in the iron love seat.  He hadn't meant to show Sango.  The wound was still fresh in his mind, a sign to him as a failure as a monk.  "I tried to cast a spell, and it failed rather miserably.  Now I'm cursed with the after effects.  It's not harmful to me, but I have to keep it sealed with the beads.  It's a wind tunnel.  It sucks everything… somewhere.  I haven't managed to determine where yet."

            He looked at her to see her reaction.  She didn't look disturbed at all, only believing that he was lying.  Sango was worried about him.  She touched it lightly.  "And you sure it won't cause you further harm? It doesn't hurt you or anything, does it?"  When he shook his head no, she pulled his hand up to her lips and kissed his fingers gently.  "You're such an idiot, Miroku."

            But there was no malice in her words, only love.

            He was about to question her when he heard screams from inside the castle.  Sango and Miroku whipped their heads around, both of them sensing the same thing.  Demons!  Demons were attacking the castle!

            Sango reached for her sword, and then remembered that she wasn't wearing one.  In one fluid motion, she ripped a slid in her dress and took off.  "Get up to the front and help them!  I'll be back as quickly as I can! I need to get myself a weapon!"

            "Right!"  But he suddenly was right there beside her.  He grabbed her and kissed her, his lips pressing hard against hers quickly, a lover's way of wishing good luck and telling her to be careful.  Then he was off, gripping his staff as she would have her weapon.

            Thanking the heavens that she knew the castle well, Sango slipped through a balcony, and through a secret passage to the basement, where all the weapons were kept.  She armed herself quickly before racing back to the front hall.  She had to fight through a stream of people, and the sight when she got there shocked her.

            Her friends were fighting with demons, a whole array of them.  Bodies and carnage littered everywhere.  For a brief second panic overwhelmed her heart, as she saw the carnage of war first hand.  Her stomach tried to rebel, but she told it to wait for a proper time.  She pulled out a sword and charge into battle, slashing down a weasel demon as it lunged at her.  

            Blood landed on her cheek, so hot it burned.  She ignored it and fought deeper into the pitch of the roaring battle.  Sango completely forgot that the sword was the least skilled weapon she had, slashing and checking everywhere, as if she were born with a sword in her hand.  And her heart wasn't even in it yet.

            She heard a scream that sounded all too familiar.  She thought it belonged to one of her friends, and she was more than correct.  The shirt of her brother was stained red with blood.  Sango forgot all about the demon she was fighting; the one that had stabbed her brother had already moved on.  She ran to catch her brother's falling body.  

"Kohaku, brother!  Hang on, Kohaku!"  The flames on her cheeks were not blood this time, but tears.  She completely forgot that there was a battle around her.  "Kohaku!  Do you hear me?  Don't die on me, damn it!"

"Don't worry, Sango," he coughed, a trickle of blood running down from the corner of his mouth.  "I'm going to be with Mother and Father.  I'll be just fine."

'Mother?  Father?'  She looked around her, terrified of what she would see.  She recognized their clothes the moment she saw them.  The bodies of her parents still clung to their weapons.  They had stood at the very front of the line in battle.

Turning back to her brother, she kissed his cold lips.  His last words seemed to hang in the air as she stared at his lifeless form, still clutched tightly in her arms.

Suddenly Sango felt very, very alone.

"SANGO!"

The cry reached her ears as she spun to see the forgotten demon standing above her, his blade drawn.  Her hand flew to her own weapon, but it was hopeless.  Her fingers touched the hilt, and hesitated.

Let him strike her down.  Let her die with her family in the beautiful death chamber, let her become a tragic heroine and the family name live as an immortal in the human world. 

And in that split second of hesitation, when Sango forgot who she was and was trapped in sadness, she suddenly found herself again.  A purple and black robe blocked her vision, and the demon was quickly swiped aside, slammed into the wall where he lay motionless.  Miroku turned around and swept her into his arms.  She was already standing, not wanting to die crying over a hollow shell, but facing death with pride.

Sango clung to him with even more need than she had to her brother's body.  Tears poured down her cheeks, and she clung to his robes, the anger of a warrior and a woman wronged bursting from her anger to give her new life, like a phoenix rising from the flames.  She didn't hear him muttering her name, or how he begged an apology, as if his presence might have saved them.

But the battle was already over.  The demons that had lived were fleeing away, and no human could catch up to them.  Sango pushed him away, and ran.

Miroku foolishly followed.  He traced her path through the maze of corridors and stairwells, steadily rising.  When he saw starlight, he found himself on the highest balcony of the castle.  Sango stood at the very edge, looking over the side.  Her hair stirred in the breeze, her dress bloodstained and in tatters.  He panicked that she was going to try jumping, but when he called her name, he saw in her eyes that she had no intention of dying anytime soon.

"I'm all alone," she told him, turning back.  This time she turned back up to the sky.  "Once again, I'm all alone."

Leaning his staff against the wall of the castle, he walked out on the balcony to take her hand.  "No, you aren't.  You still have me, Sango.  And you have them too."  He gestured to the sky.  "You still have all your dreams, and you have your stars.  And now your family is up there too.  They'll always be watching you, Sango.  Remember what I told you so long ago?  You're a tree, and you will forever be watching the world change, from fall to winter and from death will come death."

Once again, she threw herself into his chest, clinging to him, the only person she had left that she loved.  And that very moment, as she cried without guilt, she knew that she loved Miroku.  She clung to that knowledge even tighter than she did to Miroku's shirt, even tighter than he held her close, as if hearing his heart beat might show her that he loved her back just as fiercely.

"I'm sorry," she said after a long time.  "I'm sorry that I forgot about you, Miroku.  I just, saw them like that, and everything I knew, just seemed to leave me."

"There's nothing to apologize for, my little Sango," he kissed her forehead and gently wiped the blood from her face.  "Had it been my family, I would have done the same."  The wind blew again, and his face took on an even graver expression.  "Do you feel that, Sango, that wind?  Every time it blows, the wind will carry my thoughts about you, to remind you how I feel when I am not by your side."

She managed to smile up at him.  "Thank you, Miroku.  Please, if it's not too much trouble, hold me for a little longer.  Somehow, my heart doesn't ache so much when you hold me."

And because she was held in the arms of someone she loved, Sango felt her anger leave her.  She was weak for many days afterwards, as the sadness and guilt were so much harder to let go.  But the demons that had killed her family were dead, though not be her own hand.  She could seek no revenge, and was level headed enough to know that not all demons were like the ones who had attacked her family.

~*~

            Years later, Sango looked over at the man who had held her in her hour of most desperate need.  Over the years he had continued to grow, until he was the man she saw before her.  His hairstyle had not changed, nor had his robes, and now he did not carry his staff, although he often did.  His lips were drawn into a serious line, one that had become more predominant since they were sixteen.  His eyes were harder now too.  Even as a monk, she knew that he had seen too much bloodshed to be desired.  But it made his eyes look even softer when he smiled.

            She reached out and touched his shoulder, pulling him to a gentle stop, so that she could place a soft kiss on his mouth.  "Thank you," she told him with a sad face.

            Confusion wound around his mind, although he still could not get over the fact that she had just reached out and kissed him.  He never could.  "For what?"

            Sango smiled at him.  She knew this courtship all too well.  "If you don't know, then I'm not going to tell you."  She brushed by him.

            A smile began to tug at his lips, and he watched her appraisingly.  "Such grace!  Such intelligence and fiery nature!  My children much have such qualities!  My Lady Sango, bear my children!"

            THWAP!

            "Ah, some things never change," he sighed, rubbing his red cheek before chasing after her.


	6. So Much For True Love

AN:  Yeah, I swear that I didn't watch Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' one too many times as a little kid!  (It's actually the first movie I can remember seeing in theatres.  Explains a lot about me, ne?)  Yes!  I AM updating again.  Wednesday is my update day….  My Muse is just kicking me on this.  I'm SO close to being done, except that then YTV introduced Miroku (Still need to go on a major shopping spree… need a job first) and then I fell in love with Miroku and Sango as a couple, so now I have ideas for them… why can't my muse kick my ass like this when it's my own story and not a fan fic?  Not that I mind, but my characters in my own story are currently facing the possibility of war, and what does my muse do?  Leaves me!!

Oh well.  Hopefully you guys don't think I went overboard with the fight scene.  It's the whole chapter.   But I had fun writing it!  FUN!  (And if you do think it's bad, be glad you aren't reading my original stuff…. ^_^) Special thanks to lilemmy, because you really made me feel at ease for writing this, and for Mybyrdy, who pointed out all the things I shouldn't do, which I did do, and then started to fix at 7:45 this morning, forty-five minutes before my geology mid term started.  There IS a reason why I say I'm addicted to fan fiction! ^_^  It's because I am.  Hopelessly.  

And nobody mind ranting.  I'm guilty of it enough!  I love fat reviews.  They make me feel warm and fuzzy, and short reviews are just cute. ^_^  I really do see the world in rose colored glasses…. 

Thanks for all the great reviews!  Enjoy the result of watching too many Disney movies as a kid, the relief of having another mid term over with, and lots of imagination!  (And, sorry, no Miroku and Sango in this chapter, but there will be plenty between the next two chapters!)

Chapter Six:  So Much For True Love

            Okay, so the fight wasn't really at dawn.  It was a little bit after dawn, but either way, the sky was still blood red when Hiten and Inuyasha took to the field outside.  The sight of the sky filled Kagome with dread, and she would not stop rubbing her forehead.

            Hiten wanted her dead, all right.

            He already stood out on the battle field, limbering up.  Inuyasha slipped his hand from Kagome's to do the same.  Hiten had indeed chosen spears, which meant that he got to fight with his own weapon: and that meant lightning attacks.  Hiten didn't even bother looking at Inuyasha.  He was too busy glaring and Kagome.  The silver-haired demon stripped down to just his pants, and chose a weapon after stretching.

            Kagome knew exactly what the look was about, and she didn't like it.  He was going to make sure that she died, one way or another.

            Glancing up at Sesshomaru, who watched over her, the stoic aristocrat was not paying any attention to her.  And why should he?  No doubt to him she was just some sort of human peasant scum.  She easily slipped out of the royal viewing box and over to Inuyasha.  

            At least, she thought she had, but Sesshomaru's voice stopped her.  "Tell that foolish half brother or mine not to do anything stupid," he ordered her in his slick voice.  When she glanced over her shoulder, he still looked toward the battlefield, but his golden eyes were locked on her.

            Inuyasha seemed slightly surprised to see her out on the battle field, but it was clearly not a bad surprise, now that she understood what went on his mind a little bit more.  He automatically grabbed her arm and hissed at her, demanding what she was doing.

            "I just wanted to wish you good luck," she half sighed.  Her large brown eyes slowly warmed as she stared up at him and smiled.  "And thank you.  So good luck, Inuyasha.  I'll be cheering for you, obviously."

            She slipped her arm from his grasp the same way that she had removed herself from the viewing stand.  She started to leave, and then recalled Sesshomaru.  "And your brother says not to do anything stupid."  Kagome started to leave again.  "And come to think of it, I don't want you to do anything stupid either, because if you do, I care for you and I don't want to see you get unnecessarily hurt!"  She rapped him hard in the chest, and then left, back four steps later as she thought of yet another thing to say.  "And don't try reading too much into that, Inuyasha, because this whole thing as gotten me slightly off kilter, alright?"

            This time when she walked away there were faint traces of pain in his eyes.  Kagome just managed to see them, and sure enough, her guilt and emotions got the better of her, and she turned around for yet another time.  This time her hands were doing the talking, and she was no longer poking Inuyasha. "No, you know what?  Go right ahead and read too much into that!  I _do care for you, and I don't care who knows it!  Hell, you know what, Inuyasha?  I don't even think that I'd mind marrying. . . ."_

            Inuyasha cut her off guard as he rolled his eyes and ran the palm of his hand against her cheek.  "Kagome?  You're rambling.  Will you just shut the hell up and kiss me already?"

            Only staring up at him a brief second, she threw her arms around his neck and his arms wrapped around her waist.  Her feet didn't even touch the floor anymore.  Her mouth was fierce on Inuyasha's lips, enticing his to be just as energetic.  Inuyasha tightened his hold on her, and tilted her back the same way he had seen Hiten do to Yura.  Despite what the kiss he had seen those two demons share, this one was not uncomfortable or sloppy in the slightest, and he doubted very much that it resembled theirs at all.  

            No, it was spreading warmth down his entire body, and it was filled with an emotion Inuyasha dare not name before going into battle.  And perhaps because of that, it was sad too, so Inuyasha poured his whole heart into the kiss, determined not to let sadness show in Kagome's brown eyes again.

            Neither of them heard the gasp from the crowd as they kissed.

            She wound her fingers in his hair, and she surrendered herself to the kiss, eventually their moment of joy –or was it passion?- stopped, and she eagerly stared up into his eyes.  'He looks as shocked as I must do,' she thought as she stared into his gold eyes, which were now those same eyes that she had fallen in love with when he saved her, though they were not the same color.

            Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest.

            Kagome gave him another quick peck on the lips before she panicked and ran away, stopping at the corner of the field to realize that she had just gotten a kiss from a demon prince –a really hot demon prince- who was about to go and risk his neck to save her and defend her name, after she'd nearly admitted that she wouldn't mind marrying him and that she had _run away_ from him.  Was she insane?!  Kagome turned around and waved to him excitedly.  "Good luck, Inuyasha!"

            He didn't respond, all his attention focused on his brother as the king stepped forward from the sheltered podium, ready to start the fight.  But Kagome knew that he had heard her because the ear nearest her twitched, and his face hardened slightly, as if agreeing with her.

            Or thinking that she was an idiot for not believing in him: really, it was all the same thing with Inuyasha.

            Kagome returned to her seat in time to see Sesshomaru drop the white flag that signaled the start of the fight.  Inuyasha cracked his knuckles and lowered his weight, waiting to see what Hiten would do.  She almost felt honored, having the seat next to the King, but she still held her entwined hands so tightly that her fingers started to hurt after less than a second.

            "If you're that worried about my brother, then obviously you must never have seen him fight," Sesshomaru said.

            A blush rose to her cheeks and her shoulders sagged slightly.  She hadn't even seen the King look her way.  "Well, no, I haven't.  I mean, he saved me from Hiten, but he didn't fight the thunder brother.  Is he really that good?"  Sesshomaru merely glance at her.  "Oh."

            Sesshomaru continued, and she could almost hear the smile in his voice.  Almost.  She was certain that the tall demon had feelings hidden somewhere, but the mask he wore in kingship was just a bit too thick to show any of them.  "That was quite a display of emotion you and my brother shared out on the field there."  She gulped.  "My foolish brother does not know what it is that he has found in you, Lady Kagome."

            "And… My Lord, what is it that you believe your brother has found?"

            At her question, the corners of his mouth tilted up every so slightly, and he again looked her way with his piercing golden eyes.  "You don't know either?  I had thought that you at least, had some brains.  Well, it will be amusing to watch you two figure it out.  Care for a drink?"

            She fiercely shook her head no.  Her appetite still had not returned to her yet.  Kagome glanced out on the field, where still nothing had happened. Hiten stood at the far left, jeering at Inuyasha to try and goad the silver-haired demon into attacking.  She could tell it was working too.  Kagome could feel the anger and rising power from Inuyasha's direction.  Kagome jumped out of her seat.  "Inuyasha!" she yelled.  "Don't listen to him!"

            The King pulled Kagome back into her seat, but she'd already warned Inuyasha.  His power levels started to go back down to normal, which were already pretty strong to begin with, now that she paid enough attention to them.  His visage was appraising as he pulled her back down beside him.  "On the other hand, perhaps you do have some brains."

            "My Lord, why do neither of them attack?"

            "Hiten specializes in long range attacks, but he cannot use his lightning as he would normally.  He is not allowed to, as the attack would also take us out with it.  He is afraid to get close to my brother, as my brother is a better fighter in close range combat.  Inuyasha, I do not know why he will not attack.  I believe, however, that he merely wants Hiten to make the first move."

            Sesshomaru knew his brother much better than he let on.  Inuyasha was indeed waiting for Hiten to make the first move.  But as the red sky began to lighten, Hiten showed less chance of actually attacking.  Perhaps if Inuyasha started to throw an insult or two back, Hiten might have lost it, but Inuyasha preferred not wasting his breath at such a stupid thing.

            The insults of his partner fell on deaf ears.  After glancing over at Kagome, he knew he couldn't treat this like an ordinary battle.  Gripping the staff like he would the Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha charged silently, his feet a blur on the ground.  Kagome was shocked.  She'd never imagined he could move so fast!

            Hiten smirked and darted forward, feinting a counter attack.  At the last moment, Hiten shifted his weight, and instead of swinging his spear up, as normal in a defense, he brought it down, and slashed right throw Inuyasha's weapon.

            From the stands, Kagome let out a short gasp.

            The elder thunder brother laughed cruelly.  "Aw!  Did the little puppy break his new toy?"  He floated overhead, the wheels by his feet keeping him above Inuyasha.  Weaponless and no way to touch him unless he suddenly sprouted wings, the silver-haired demon was suddenly in a very awkward attacking position, and an almost equally bad defensive one.

            Inuyasha couldn't hide his surprise as he stopped.  He stared at the pieces of spear he held before shrugging and dropping them on the ground.  Inuyasha gave his usual 'feh' sound and cracked his knuckles.  "I don't need a spear to take you on, Hiten.  My claws'll be enough."  He crouched his legs, ready to take off in any direction.  "Let's see what you got!"

            Far too eager to prove to Inuyasha exactly what he could do, Hiten charged, lightning collecting around his spear.  If the metal tips at the end didn't skewer him, then the lightning would surely finish the half breed off!  He locked Inuyasha in his sights, and then, inexplicably, the demon was gone.

            Arms wrapped around his legs and pulled him to the ground.  The rocky ground of the arena rushed up to meet him, and Hiten saw stars.  When he looked behind him, there was crunching sound and then he realized Inuyasha had snapped his wheels.  Hiten couldn't fly anymore.

            "Interesting," Sesshomaru drawled.

            "What?  What's interesting?" Kagome asked, her wide eyes not leaving Inuyasha.

            "My brother has never moved so fast.  Not even when he losses control of himself and lets his demon side take over."  He glanced at the girl, who was concentrating almost entirely on the fight.  Funny, but he could smell the power coming off of her.  She was strong, this one.  Maybe that was part of what was going on with Inuyasha, that he was reacting to the power she was giving off.  But Sesshomaru had a far more reasonable answer for his brother's surprising speed.

            "I think that for the first time ever, his heart is actually in the fight."

            Hiten swung widely with his spear, and Inuyasha had to leap away before he had the chance to use his claws.  Inuyasha didn't even realize that he was cut.  He didn't feel the pain at all, but he did feel it when Hiten swallowed through with a wide arc from the other direction, and Inuyasha had to use his arm to block. He missed the bladed edge, but nothing could stop him from missing the waves of electricity that quickly spread from the staff of the weapon, through his body to the ground.

            Biting his lip, he refused to give Hiten the satisfaction of hearing him cry out in pain.  Fighting through it, angered by the smirk on Hiten's face and thinking only of Kagome, he reached over and grabbed the staff.  "Feh.  Weakling."

            The look of surprise on Hiten's face would keep Inuyasha laughing for many years.  Closing his arm around the spear, he smashed it.  Inuyasha broke it right in two.

            Kagome cheered from the side lines.  "Yes!  Go Inuyasha!  Way to even the odds!  That'll show him!"

            Sesshomaru put a hand on her shoulder to keep her in her seat as he tried to keep from having a large sweat drop appear over head.  He had kept them away for years, and an energetic little girl was not going to make them start coming around now!

            She finally turned away from the fight to look up at him.  "King Sesshomaru, what do you mean that for the first time his heart is in a fight?  I admit that I've only known your little, I mean, half brother, for three days, but I know that he loves what he does.  Inuyasha would not dream of being anything else than the position you gave him, or living anywhere else than the land you gave him.  What makes this fight so different than the ones he has in his duty to the crown?"

            The king gave her a pointed look.

            'Right.  He's fighting for me.'  She thought back to the night before.  'What was it that he had said?  Something about how love has to win.'  Kagome's whole face began to burn.  Even her lips burned as she thought about the kiss Inuyasha had given her before he had taken up the sword –spear- to defend her honor.  'Does… does Inuyasha love me?'

            Her cheering distracted him, but only for a moment.  After blocking a wild punch, Inuyasha began to give Hiten a beating the demon would never forget.  His body didn't even have a chance to hit the ground before he kicked it back up, and gave a sharp elbow to the gut, or a second kick that almost sent him flying into the stands.

            To his surprise, when Hiten finally hit the ground, he slowly picked himself back up, and laughed.  "I'm more demon than you are, Inuyasha!  It's going to take a lot more than that to kill me.  Look!  The older wounds you gave me are already starting to heal!  Besides, what's your bitch going to think when she sees you acting so rough?  She thought she was going to marry a prince, but instead she finds that she's going to marry a crazy, half bred bully!"

            Inuyasha knew that he couldn't let words like that get to him, but Hiten's words slipped into his blood, and he felt the upper hand he had so effectively held slip away from him.  He was right.  What would Kagome think of him now?

            But his sensibility –or whatever it was that someone like Inuyasha had- got the better of him.  "If Kagome hates me for what I do to you, then so be it!" he snarled as Hiten picked himself up.  "But as long as someone like her is alive in the world, then I don't care whether she's by my side or not, as long as there's still something good in the world."

            "You mean as long as there's someone willing out there to look past physical features or genealogy to see the real person."

            "Exactly."  Inuyasha struck again, his claws ripping bloody lines down Hiten's chest.  He smiled coyly, enjoying the look of surprise on Hiten's face.  "For three days, Hiten, I had somebody love me.  That's more than I ever expected. I'll become a real demon to keep her safe, if that's what it takes.  Save yourself the trouble and drop your claim to her life!  Drop your accusation and save yourself a lot of strife, because I'm _not_ going to lose!"

            She couldn't help but think back to the events that had occurred over the past three days.  Kagome recalled being safe in his arms, and watching joy flash over his face each time she touched him, or showed him something new.  Like sharing strawberries.  Kagome almost giggled at the thought.  And then she thought of his kisses.  The first kiss they had shared had been so sweet that now her heart fluttered at the mere thought.  It had been without technique, and why should it have technique?  It was Inuyasha's first kiss, period.  But she had enjoyed it; oh, she had enjoyed it!  Now the kisses they shared made her knees feel weak, her stomach fall, and her body feel like it was fuzzy.  She needed Inuyasha like she needed air!

            "Pardon?"

            "I asked you if you could hear what Inuyasha and Hiten were saying," Sesshomaru repeated.  When Kagome answered no, he began to repeat the conversation for her, and said nothing at the contrasts of fear and love as they played out on her face.

            She watched the fight with growing worry, and even Sesshomaru was not quick enough when she saw Inuyasha fall.  She leaned on the railing, her hands clutching tightly.  Tears began to leak from her eyes when Inuyasha didn't move.  "Sesshomaru!  I mean, my Lord, my King, what happened?  It was all so fast, I couldn't see it.  What are they saying?"

            He left his own seat to stand beside her.  He tilted his head slightly, and he caught the scent of his brother's blood.  "… 'Foolish, mutt.  I told you, you cannot win against me.  I will kill you, contrary to whatever it is your brother asked of me. Oh yes, your brother asked me to spare your life.  But I will watch you bleed until not even the blood of your human-loving father can save you.  And then I will have the pleasure of killing your bitch, putting her through all the pain that she put my poor Manten through, his body slowly being purified by the arrow that had pierced him.'"

            Kagome covered her mouth with her hands, shaking her head.  At last, the mystery of what had happened to Manten was solved for her, but she didn't care about that!  She only cared about Inuyasha.  "Get up…."

            "My brother coughs.  His blood hits the ground.  'You'll rue the day you ever threatened my Kagome, Hiten.'"

            Inuyasha glanced in Kagome's direction as he spoke of her.  Much to his surprise, he saw Kagome and Sesshomaru standing up, watching them intently.  To keep Hiten to see where he had been glancing, Inuyasha let himself be kicked in the ribs, and rolled with the momentum.  He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.  Why were Sesshomaru and Kagome standing?  Unless… 'Can they hear me?'  With Sesshomaru's senses, so much clearer than his own, they might just be able to.  In which case… all he had to do was to give Hiten's tongue all the room he needed.  "My father may have loved humans, but he was still a better person than you!"

            Sesshomaru's fists tightened.  "Jaken!"  The smaller demon appeared almost out of nowhere.  "Get the sword from my brother's room."

            Kagome blinked slowly.  What was going on?

            "This is no longer about you, Lady Kagome.  My brother is not as dumb as he pretends to be.  He is getting Hiten to incriminate himself.  This is no longer a battle.  Inuyasha now has to do his job.  Now he _must kill Hiten; that demon is a traitor to the throne, disobeying my orders, and slandering the name of my father."  Sesshomaru suddenly realized that she might not want to be there.  "When Jaken returns I will ask him to escort you back to Inuyasha's chambers.  You can wait for him there.  Once Inuyasha has the Tetsusaiga back, the battle will be brief."_

            Her answer surprised him, but her resolution surprised him more.  "No."  It seemed as if her whole body and being were put into that one word.  "I'm staying right here.  Inuyasha took care of me when I was alone with him the wilderness, and I'm going to be there for him as soon as he comes out of that fight!"

            'Yes,' he decided once more.  'This girl is a good match for my half brother….'

            Inuyasha was getting pissed off.  His hands itched to attack, but he couldn't, not really.  He needed to make it absolutely clear to Sesshomaru that Hiten was a traitor, and that meant he had to keep the other demon talking.  But that didn't mean he had to be completely on the defensive….  He stuck his hand on his blood, almost as if he were grasping it out of pain.  The blood was warm and slick on his skin.  "Here's where you find out how weak you really are, Hiten.  Your spear is broken, which means no more lightning.  But I still have my powers."

            Hiten laughed, letting the attack slice him, as if it were nothing.  "That's where you're wrong, Inuyasha!  Contrary to popular belief, it's not the spear that holds my power."  He held out his hand, and lightning shot out.  Inuyasha swore blatantly, and dove out of the way.

            "You fool!  Do you want to take out everybody else with me?!"

            Laughing again, Hiten searched around him slowly, looking for any sign of Inuyasha and where he had run off to.  "Just think of it being like you and Kagome.  You'll do anything to save her, and I'll do anything to kill her.  Even if it means that I'll take everybody else to hell with me!"

            Kagome suddenly fell to her knees, clutching her head.  

Sesshomaru barely even noticed.  Forget Jaken!  He needed to stop this fight now.  He motioned for the guards to storm the field.  Kagome watched them glide forward, and managed to fight through the pain of a headache the likes of which she had never seen.  "No… NO….!"  She grabbed Sesshomaru's hand, her brown eyes wide.  God, Hiten really _did want him dead.  "My King, you can't!  Inuyasha needs to win this fight for himself!  You said that it's his job, so let him do it, otherwise you will appear to be protecting your half-brother, and my honor will never fully be cleared."_

The King stared at her, new appreciation in his eyes.  How could this girl have been raised a peasant yet understand court politics even more than himself?  He motioned for the guards to come back, his hand gripping the railing a little bit tighter, as if that subtle change was all the outlet he needed for his growing rage.  The people in the crowds, also able to hear indignation, began to murmur and shift in their seats, some of them grasping their weapons.  He glared at them all, and even across the rocky battlefield it was enough of a look to silence them.

"King Sesshomaru… please, what are they saying now?"

"You're wrong, Hiten."  Inuyasha leaned against a cool rock as he hid from the demon.  When did the thunder brother become so stronger?  Somehow Inuyasha knew.  Hiten must have absorbed his brother's powers after Manten expired.  Inuyasha refused to kill Hiten anyway than in a direct combat, so sneaking up was out of the question.  Except that Inuyasha wasn't really fighting one thunder brother, but both of them in one body.  His own attacks weren't strong enough to cut through a lightning bolt, but if he could manage to get close enough, he could use his claws.  The problem, of course, was actually getting close to Hiten….  "I wouldn't do anything to save her.  Given the chance to save Kagome or a hundred people, even a handful of people, I'd choose the people.  That's what Kagome would want me to pick.  She wouldn't be able to live with herself knowing that she was alive at somebody else's death."

"Then why did she choose to fight me?"

"She didn't.  I did.  I'm the one who wanted to fight you.  Kagome didn't even know what she was saying when she asked me to defend her name.  Besides, I'm not going to kill you to defend you.  I'm going to kill you because you're a traitor, Hiten.  You really would take out everybody here to kill her, and they see that as dangerous.  Even if you succeed in defeating me, how far do you think you're going to get before they arrest you and kill you for treason?  No matter what, you're dead."

His hair began to lift off his neck as he sensed the lightning coming at him.  Inuyasha dove and rolled out of the way, a pain flashing in his side.  Recalling the knee to his ribs he had taken, Inuyasha reprimanded himself.  He needed to be careful, lest he cause himself further injury.  He glanced down to check to see exactly how bad the damage was, and Hiten attacked again, this time with a physical attack.

Kagome fought through her pounding headache, and gripped the handle so tightly she thought her hands were going to break.  She didn't need Sesshomaru to tell her what was going on to see it.  "Inuyasha!  Look out!  It's another feint!"

Hiten was charging ahead, but was pulling the same trick on him that Inuyasha had on him.  At the last second, he leapt, and flipped to land behind Inuyasha, lightning crackling in his hand.  Inuyasha spun, claws outstretched as he counter-attacked, but it was too little too late.  Inuyasha felt pain in his back before he fell.  The ground rushed up to his face, and he vaguely heard Hiten laughing. "So much for true love."   

He looked over at Kagome, and saw her gulp.  He slowly approached the King and Kagome.  Both of them looked worried, but she showed it more.  Her eyes never left the fallen body of Inuyasha.  "He's dead.  She's mine, now."

Sesshomaru looked again to his guards.  "And you're under arrest for treason, slandering my father's name like that.  Hiten, I charge you…."  He stopped when Hiten blew away the two guards with his lightning, proceeding towards the covered seating area where Sesshomaru and Kagome stood.  The King cracked his knuckles simply by waving his fingers.  It seemed that he'd have to dirty his own hands in dealing with the thunder brother.

Her whole body shaking, she finally pulled her eyes away from Inuyasha's motionless form when her headache doubled in pain, and she felt exactly the same thing her fallen prince had only moments ago.  The air seemed to hum with electricity.  Hiten was going to blast the King away.  She launched herself at the King, who was caught off guard by her sudden and swift movement, and knocked him to the ground as the lightning past by overhead.

He stared up at her, shocked by the display.  He had nearly declared war on her country, and yet she had saved him.  Well, perhaps not saved.  Sesshomaru could take care of himself just fine, after all.  Almost instinctually, as if he were Inuyasha instead of the human hating King, he grabbed her and leapt out of the way of Hiten's next lighting attack.  Where was Jaken with that damned sword?  He landed on the rocky ground of the arena floor, and holding Kagome where she was not to use her as a shield (although Sesshomaru didn't really have a problem at this idea) but to keep her from running off and crying over his brother's body.

Outstretching his hand, Hiten readied himself to throw another attack, so fixated on killing Kagome that he didn't notice the other demons grabbing their own weapons and storming out unto the field.  Not only had he attacked their King and killed their Prince, he was threatening war.  While the demons were not scared of the idea of fighting humans, they still held paternal instincts, and didn't want their children growing up in a land filled with death and war.

Kagome pried the King's hand off her shoulder and cracked her own knuckles, starting to chant as she let the power flow out of her.  She'd not created a spell of such strength for a long time, but she was pouring all her heart into it, as she thought about Inuyasha.  It was her fault that he was dead.  The least she could do was protect her brother.  More of her magic began to flow out of her, drawn know not only for the desire to protect, but as it was the way she could release all her anger and pain at knowing the man she had never told she loved would never be able to hear it.

"What are you doing?" Sesshomaru coldly demanded, staring at the fireball his brother had managed to tame.

"Get out of here, Your Majesty.  I'll hold him back."  Pink power bounced against the lightning as the attack struck her shield, but it held firmly.  Kagome's eyes narrowed.  "And please, take Inuyasha's body and give it a proper burial.  I'm going to purify the hell out the place." 

Her head hurt.  God, her head hurt!  She could not only feel the lightning pounding against her shield, but Hiten's anger too.  'But that's nothing compared to mine….'  Kagome completely lost track of what happened to Seshsomaru, and all the other demons who were now running out on the field, their cries drowned out by the crackle of lightning.  She felt like a sob was trying to escape her throat, and she eagerly let it out, hot tears running down her cheeks.  "Inuyasha…."

'He's dead.  Hiten killed him, and it's all my fault.'  

He was trying to shake off a sudden feeling of fatigue.  Inuyasha hadn't been as lucky as he had wanted from Hiten's last attack.  And Hiten was right: his wounds weren't healing as faster as Hiten's.  His name touched his ears.  They twitched, as if irritated.  Then he suddenly realized who the voice belonged to.  Kagome.  He lurched forward, wincing in pain.  Somehow, he knew what was going on.

That bastard was trying to hurt Kagome.

Inuyasha felt all the pain leave him as he thought only of her.  He looked over the rock he had fallen behind to see only half of what he had expected.  His brother was out there too.  Inuyasha flexed his right hand.  Rushing forward, all the strength he had possessed at the start of the fight return to him.

She felt like she had tunnel vision.  Her power began to grow, as she let all her anger and vision focus on Hiten.  She didn't care if she used up all her power.  It would probably kill her, but she didn't think she could live on her own.  Especially not when she would look at her hands and see them stained with the blood of the man she loved.  "This is for _Inuyasha_!"

Kagome was about to shove her purifying magic at him, when she suddenly looked up.  She was practically blinded by the bright lights of the lightning and her own mystical powers meeting, but she could see Hiten's glowing red eyes.  But behind Hiten, stood an even more terrifying looking figure.  His ears seemed sharper than normal, and the intensity of his large red eyes made her knees feel weak.  They seemed more crimson than blood.  It looked as if his eyes had cried tears that had run down his face and to his chest and hands.  But his hair was still as silver as the moonlight, and she recognized him immediately, even though he seemed more of a demon, more commanding and dangerous than she had ever seen him look.

'Inuyasha?'

Her eyes widened again as Inuyasha killed Hiten in one mighty blow from which no demon could ever recover.  Kagome's heard was pounding in her ears.

He stared at her a moment like that, nearly a whole demon.  The fear in her eyes was not from seeing him, but from the blood on his chest, and the body that lay at his feet.  She could never be sacred of him, not of her cryptic prince.  His shoulders sagged, and he shook his head, glancing at her a moment, and then at his brother.  The confusion that rolled over his mind carried away the rest of his anger.  He seemed to shrink in front of her.

"Kagome?"

He fell to his knees, but she was right there to keep him from hitting the ground.  She gently lowered him down, as people from the stands ran forward to check on their King.  Let the people tend to Sesshomaru; Kagome just wanted to make sure that Inuyasha was alright.  She laid his head on her lap, gently brushing the blood off his face.  

Tears sparkled in her eyelashes, and her bottom lip quivered, but she hid it with a smile, finding herself holding a real, live miracle.  "I'm right here, Inuyasha.  It's all over now, love."

"Love?"  His eyes closed, and he sighed contentedly.  He managed to laugh weakly, followed by a wince when one of her hands accidentally touched the burns along his side and back, from Hiten's cowardly attack.  "See, Kagome?  I told you that I'd win.  I told you that love would conquer everything."

She let her tears fall freely, and they sparkled more preciously than Sesshomaru's pearl mansion as they fell to the bloodied ground.  "I know.  And I don't recall arguing that point with you, you stupid demon.  You're so stupid…."

"Wench."

"Shut up and go to sleep."

"Make me."

Kagome had to smile.  If he wouldn't stop fighting with her, then he was going to be just fine.  She looked up when a shadow fell over her.  It was the face of a handsome wolf demon.  He smiled down at her, and she couldn't help but return the favor.

"Hello, princess.  What some help getting that stupid mutt back to his room?"


	7. An Honest Smile

AN:  Yup!  Yeah Wednesday!  Another update, this one even complete with extra-fluff, because I think I was probably drinking Coca-Cola when I wrote this, or else reading Mybyrdy's uber-good fic, which, let's face it, makes we wanna write in return.  

Valane: What  You didn't think I could really kill off Inuyasha, did you?

Lilemmy: Yes, you were right, thanks! ^_^  And some of your questions will be answered.  But seeing as how I know very little about Kouga's character, I just threw him in because I thought it would be fun to see him in tights.  He wears the mini skirt anyway, so he has no reservations about leggings, I'd think….

Squeakyinuears: I know what you mean.  Myself, I don't sleep.  I'm surviving off of 6 hours of sleep a night, and one 710 mL bottle of Coke a week.  But it's worth it.  It means I'm in the midst of writing um… 5 fan fics, reading a bunch, doing homework, dishes, writing two of my own stories, two RPGs and other random stuff.  And yeah for more Miroku and Sango fluff!

Mybyrdy: Hey, it was great because of your advice!  All the stuff that you told me not to do, I had done, hence the rewrite.  I like this version much better, and somehow still managed to make it work so that I didn't have to rewrite this chapter.  And I will read chapter 6 of your fic as soon as I am home alone, so that my roommates won't think I'm having a heart attack or smething when I fall off my chair giggling.  Which I have been known to do. Often.

Ryngrl: is 2 more chapters enough?

CorruptedAngel: thanks for the wishes.  Don't go to college bars on Halloween.  Next year, I'm so renting all the Halloween movies I can find and having a movie a thon.  Sleepy Hollow, Hocus Pocus, Interview With the Vampire, Blood, really, the list of movies I could have watched is endless. So how did I let them talk me into going to the bar??

ME: I don't know.  I kind of feel bad for Hiten….

Anyway: enjoy the fic! ^_^

Chapter Seven:  An Honest Smile

They let Shippo wonder on ahead.  The fox demon was happily munching away on a breakfast sweet, and would be happy for a long time, because of it.  Sango's brown eyes were serious: even sugar couldn't pick her up.  Miroku was almost as serious, though he knew it was not from the same topic that Sango dwelled on.  No doubt she was busy thinking of how best to tell King Sesshomaru that Kagome was dead, while he was thinking of their relationship, and sometimes lack thereof.

            His stride matched hers perfectly so they could walk side by side.  "Sango?"  She turned to look at him and his cheeks went red when those caramel brown eyes turned to him and met his own grey-violet ones.  "Why is it that you only let me hold you when you're sad?"

            "Well, if that's what you think, then you obviously don't have a good memory!" she snapped, with a tiny smile on her face.  Sugar couldn't cheer her up, but apparently Miroku making an ass of himself could.  "Don't you remember three days ago, you perverted monk?"

            _Sango's__ nose itched.  There was a demon afoot.  She drew her sword and crept away from the carriage, into the bushes. When the door had opened, nobody had been there.  Now she had to survey the area, and then try to get those skeletal horses to move again.  She had gotten barely two feet into the forest when her nose stopped itching.  No, on second though, she found that it was still annoying her, but that some other emotion had covered it up.  _

_            The forest was quiet._

_            A hand suddenly clamped down over her eyes while another one wrapped around her sword arm, effectively immobilizing it.  She twisted her hip  to throw the attacker, when the attacker's scent enveloped her, familiar and welcomed.  Lips brushed her ear._

_            "Guess who."_

_            "Miroku!!"_

_            The monk was happy.  Not only did he get one exclamation mark, he actually received two of them attached to his name!  'She must be really happy to see me,' he thought, letting her go.  "Right on the first guess, my Lady Sango.  I…"  _

_            She cut him off when she jumped on him, quite literally, actually knocking him to the ground as she pressed her lips against his.  He was surprised for only a moment, before he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, quickly destroying all the loneliness and filling all the friendship that had been haunting him since he had become a bandit._

_            Her lips were warm and teasing over his, giving him quick little kisses that landed on his lips, cheeks, forehead, and even the tip of his nose.  In between them all, she told Miroku how much she missed him.  As if the emotion in her eyes and the touch of her lips on his skin weren't enough to let him know!_

_            He took her chin in her hands and drew her down, silencing their one sided conversation with a kiss that took Sango completely off guard.  She made a muffled sound of protest as his lips ran over hers and did not let him up.  The feeling of his breath over her skin made her shiver._

_            And boy, did she really shiver when his tongue touched her bottom lip!_

_            She let out a tiny moan of pleasure.  This was the kind of companionship that she had been missing!  All her other friends that thought Sango had no sex drive: Miroku just knew with expert precision how to get under her shields and drew her out of the safe place in her mind where that part dwelled._

_            Miroku took full advantage of…_

_            Kagome screamed, and Miroku lifted his head.  Somehow he'd ended up on top.  It was probably taken at the moment when he started giving her what would have been a long kiss.  He glanced down at her, curious, before she explained that she'd been traveling with another woman._

_            Miroku nodded.  "Ah.  Shippo must have scared her."_

_            "Excuse me?  You're out here trying to seduce me in the middle of nowhere, and you still let Shippo try and rob my carriage?"  Her anger was quickly replaced with a proud smile.  That was her bandit!  Robbing from the rich to give to the poor didn't mean he couldn't stop at robbing her, or even his own parents.  It then turned to one of annoyance as he fixed his hair, which she'd accidentally pulled out when she had first jumped him._

_            "Well, if you won't bear my children, maybe she will…"_

_            SLAP!_

_            "Pervert!"_

            He rubbed his cheek, recalling the slap.  Ah, it had been worth a stinging cheek to see the jealousy in her eyes at the idea of her friend being kissed in the same favor that Sango had.  Sango's slaps had been getting softer later.  Now they didn't even make his cheek red.

            'I'm wearing her down!' he cheered himself.  'Soon she won't even be hitting me when I…'  He didn't finish his thought, he just fell back or two to watch her walk, his eyes landing on something below the equator.

            "Miroku?" she sweetly asked.  "Stop staring at my ass."

            "But it's such a nice one!" he complained.

            To his surprise, she actually laughed.  Yup, he was most certainly wearing her down.  It had only taken him seventeen years.  For a heart as good as Sango's, he could wait a few years more.  He picked up his step again and walked alongside her.  "Ah, my Lady Sango, I do so love it when you laugh like that.  If only I didn't think that you were laughing at me.  Perhaps one day you will be so bold as to laugh with me."

            She laughed again.  "I think your poetry has actually deteriorated."

            "Ah, not so! It only looks that way, my love!  My poetry has simply changed forms, and in my old age of twenty-one, my hands speak better than my lips!"

            "Funny, but judging by your kisses, one wouldn't think that's the case."  Her voice was serious, but when she glanced over at Miroku, she saw that his cheeks were red.  "It's because it's too dangerous."

            Catching him off guard, Miroku tried to figure out what she meant.  What was too dangerous?

            "You asked me why I never let you hold me when I'm happy.  It's because it's too dangerous."  She hung her head slightly, her bangs hiding her eyes from his piercing gaze.  "If I let you hold me when I'm sad, then you cheer me up.  I'm lost in sadness, but being held by you reminds me of who I am.  But if I let you hold me when I'm happy, then all of a sudden I lose myself again, or I least I feel like I do."

            He was about to respond how silly that sounded, when he realized how callous that would be.  Sango was pouring her heart out to him, and he was going to laugh at it?  Ridiculous!  Besides, didn't he feel the same way, sometimes?

            "I can't do that, Miroku.  I can't just let me loose myself every time I'm with you!  I have duties, and I…"

            "Then if you forget who you are around me, then why do you do it when you're happy, after we haven't seen each other for months?"  She was quiet, and he eventually deduced that at those times the happiness made her forget her station.  That was what it was really all about then.  It wasn't a bad thing that when he kissed her or held her she lost herself, because she fell into happiness when he touched her.  Miroku sighed, and took her hand in his.  

"Darling Sango, although sometimes when you kiss me back I forgot that I was brought up to be a monk, it is those times that I can come the closest to understanding what you must be going through."  He paused, and then said gently, "you shouldn't feel that way, Sango.  You shouldn't feel as if you're being lost.  Listen to my blood, listen to my mind, to my heart!  It knows you, and only you.  If anything, it should be the other way around, that you should always remember who you are, because who knows the Lady Sango better than this thieving old monk?"

Sango smiled despite herself.  His words always had a certain sway over her.  Miroku always knew just what buttons to press, to make her happy or angry.  He was silver–tongued, that monk.  "You're not old, Miroku, you're younger than me by a month or two.  But I suppose you're right.  No, you _are_ right.  Who would know me better than you."

And she stopped, her fears forgotten by his bard-like words, and pulled him close, gently pressing her lips against his, letting everything that was Miroku touch her and surround her.  For the first time in a long time, she did not lose herself, but she didn't find herself, either.  No, Sango knew exactly who she was from start to finish.  Because of that, for the second time, the first being when Miroku had first kissed her, she felt complete.

"Eww!" Shippo stuck the candy back in his mouth and continued to march down the road.  He'd never understand humans. . . .

~*~

            The wolf demon, whose named happened to be Kouga, helped Kagome sneak off the field and carry Inuyasha's body back to his bedroom.  After they place him on his bed, still fast asleep, Kagome cracked her knuckles and set to work.  'This is no different than fixing a human,' she rationalized.  "Kouga, what do you have in the way of first aid supplies at the castle?"

            To her surprise, the young wolf demon snorted.  "The mutt will heal himself in time.  You just saved the king, my precious princess!  Why don't you come down with me and we can go celebrate together?"  He offered her his arm, but she pushed it away.

            "I'm not leaving Inuyasha."

            Kouga sighed.  "Fine."  He rolled his eyes, but Kagome doubted that he was actually hurt or angry, just annoyed at his attentions being rejected.  "I'll send someone up to help you."  He shut the door behind him quietly.

            Inuyasha's shirt was already off.  She used the washcloth and the cold water in the basin (unused since that morning) to start to clean off the blood from his skin, careful not to touch the actual wounds until she got some hot water to help sterilize them.  She didn't know to be thankful or not that his legs seemed unhurt, as she wasn't exactly eager to try and take off his pants single handedly, although she was kind of curious what his legs looked like, under his bellowing red pants.

            'Arg!  What am I thinking?'

            A knock in the door made her pause in her tending to the unconscious Halfling.  She opened it and found a sweet little demon looking up at her.  She already carried a basin of steaming water.  Kagome wanted to pinch the girl's cheeks and cover her in hugs and kisses, she was just so sweet looking, but as she knew not the age of this demon.  She merely took the basin and bowed her head graciously.  "Thank you very much.  Do you know where I can find some…"

            The girl silently took of a knapsack, and placed it on the bed beside Inuyasha, and then left quietly.

            She opened it and found everything that she needed to fix Inuyasha's wounds.  She cleaned off the wounds with a fresh cloth and the hot water, and his face didn't even twitch in response.  He looked so peaceful when he slept, like a little kid.  With another cloth she dabbed on an astringent, and winced when he hissed.  He was beginning to come closer to being awake.

            Reaching into the bag, she pulled out a roll of gauze.  Some of his wounds were deep.  In a normal human they might have needed stitching, but now they just needed to be wrapped.  Already they had stopped bleeding.  Kagome looked at him, and realized that she couldn't bind all his wounds without having somebody hold him up.  She knelt on the bed and lifted his arm over her lap, wrapping what wounds she could.

            He showed no further signs of waking up.  Kagome stared at him, wondering if she should go and get Kouga.  Instead, she found herself staring at him.  Sesshomaru had implied that he had fights like this on a regular basis, and yet there were very few scars on his body.  Demons were remarkable creatures.  She reached out slowly, watching the rise and fall of his chest.  Her fingers gently ran down his stomach, her eyes watching them, when a hand reached out and caught them.

            She jumped back in surprise and tried to pull her hand away, but he had caught it, and held it fast.  "Inuyasha!  You're awake!"

            "Of course I'm awake.  It doesn't take me that long to recuperate."

            Her cheeks quickly turned red.  Kagome had a hundred things to say to him, ranging from 'I wasn't just feeling your chest' to the ever purposeful, 'thank you'.  She realized that his grip on her hand had lightened, and now he was just holding it.  His thumb had even started to rub the back of her hand.  Her blush deepened.  "Inuyasha…."

            But by the time that she had gotten his name out, he had noticed that his arm was bandaged.  He'd also noted that his back hurt so much he wondered of an elephant demon had decided to jump on it for fun.  "Did you do this?"

            "Well yes, I…."

            "Thank you."  She glanced up at him sharply and she looked a bit puzzled that she had been thanked by him.  She quickly pointed out to him that there was no reason for him to be thanking her.  Inuyasha had gotten hurt, defending her, and if she had been able to fight for herself he never would have been hurt.  "I never would have said yes if I didn't think I had a chance of winning."

            "I never would have asked you if I thought that you might get hurt!"

            Inuyasha looked up at her and saw the path of dried tears on her cheeks.  She had been crying for him already, and now it appeared as though she was ready to cry again for him.  He was about to say something, but before he knew it she'd grabbed the gauze and was unwinding it professionally.

            "Lift up your arms.  If you're sitting up, then we can bandage those wounds now.  You're really lucky, Inuyasha.  You didn't break anything at all.  It looks like you got a bruised rib, so that will probably sting for a bit.  And you have a lot of burns…."  She suddenly clued in that her hands were reaching around his stomach, his arms hovered around her shoulders, and that she had to lean into him to pass the gauze from hand to hand.  She could feel the warmth coming off his body.  Her hair brushed his chest when she moved.  Blushing wildly, her face slowly lifted to look at Inuyasha.  When she saw that the eyes staring back at there were of purest gold, filled with loving patience, Kagome smiled at him.

            He looked ready to say something to her when there was a knock at the door.  Kagome quickly finished bandaging the slashes on his chest and pulled away.  Her dark hair hid her face as she began to pack up her supplies and Inuyasha told the person to enter.  The King walked into the room, and Kagome immediately curtseyed, but Inuyasha only smiled.  "I'd get up, brother, but I don't think my doctor would like that too much, should my wounds reopen."  He glanced at out of the corner of his eye and saw that Kagome was smiling.  No, he couldn't see it, he just knew that she was smiling.

            "If you're being precocious, that must mean you're going to be fine," Sesshomaru growled gently.  He pulled a chair up the bed and sat in as elegantly as he would his throne.  "But it wasn't you that I came to see.  It was Kagome."

            Now she looked up, her eyes wide and her skin pale.  Was she in some sort of trouble?  "But… ah, but why, King Sesshomaru?"

            His face softened just slightly.  "Because, Lady Kagome, you showed great bravery and courage on the field today.  While I doubt that you actually saved my life, I'll not forget that you still tried to save it.  I have no fears or regrets about the person that Queen Kikyo sent to me to wed my brother.  Although you two may not end up marrying, and may simply be engaged, I wish to introduce Kagome tomorrow night to my court, in a ceremony befitting a princess, which she will of course be, if she marries you.  That is, until I marry and have children, in which case you two will a Duke and a Duchess, but either way, I want to introduce her properly at my court."

            A smile slowly tugged on her mouth.  She knew full well how much effort it had taken Sesshomaru to say that.  "You mean?  I get to dress like a real princess and wear a pretty dress and everything?"  Inuyasha patted her head affectionately, thinking the sparkle in her eye was cute.  He couldn't wait to see her looking and dressing like a real princess!  She'd knock everybody in court flat on their asses with a beauty such as hers!

            Sesshomaru nodded.  "Yes.  I'd like to introduce you as the fiancée of my brother."

            As if they shared a mind, Inuyasha and Kagome glanced at each other.  The half demon turned to the King first.  "Please, give us a moment to talk this over together in private."

            Nodding once, he glided off his chair and left the room so they could take it over.  Already knowing that they were going to decide, Sesshomaru went and started making plans for the following night's special dinner.

            They stared at each other after Sesshomaru left, until Kagome was so red she thought she might be glowing.  Realizing how long they had been staring, Kagome and Inuyasha turned away from each other.  Soon he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, gently pulling her down on the bed so that he could hold her.  He buried his face in her hair, his breath tickling the back of her neck as he sighed, hiding a wince for his side as he settled back down on the bed.  Hiten really had done number with that lightning attack…  

            "Inuyasha…."

            He held her a little tighter.  "Shh.  Just let me enjoy this for a moment longer, and then we can talk."  If she said no, or said that she hated him for fighting Hiten, then at least he would have this moment, when he held her in his arms to reflect on as she walked out the door.  After a second or two longer he nodded, though he did not let her go. "Okay.  Now we can talk."

            "Inuyasha, I don't want you to think that this engagement is because I was told to be engaged to you, or because of war."

            "I can understand that."  No.  He didn't want it to be because of that either.

            Kagome smiled, and it warmed her voice.  "I want to be engaged to you because I want to be engaged to you."  She could practically feel his surprise as his breath suddenly left his throat.  She had heard him inhale in surprise.  His arms relaxed around her and leaned up, so he could see Kagome.  His face was filled with only emotion, as pure as the color of his eyes.  His lips were slightly parted, and he barely seemed to be breathing, as if something in his chest hurt too much.

            "Really?"

            She nodded her head fervently.  "Really, Inuyasha.  I…"  Her sentence was cut off as he kissed her sweetly, a kiss much like their first.  It was as light as a feather, but shook her to the core, and left her craving more of Inuyasha.  She reached up and played with his hair, letting it fall around her so that she felt like she was surrounded by white sakura blossoms.

            When she kissed him back, her touch was just as soft.  She felt his hand cup her cheek, the ends of his fingernails gently trailing down her jaw line and neck, enticing an intake of breath from her.  Her eyes opened and she stared up at him, letting his hand play with her hair and innocently toy with the hem of her shirt.

            Taking advantage of her mouth being free again, she placed a hand over his heart, marveling at the warmth and strength it radiated, she smiled up at, the dopey smile of a girl in love.  "I love you, Inuyasha."

            This time the intake of breath he took was strong enough that she could actually hear it, but did not know if it was from the feeling of her skin against his, or her confession.  He slowly smiled.  "I know.  I told Hiten that.  I told him that I had been loved by a beautiful young woman for three whole days, and that had been more than I ever expected to be loved."

            Her heart began to pound in her chest.  "Really?" she asked gently.  One of her hands fell from his shoulder to brush over the gauzes.  He really did love her.  He'd bled and fought for her.  He leaned his head down and his lips brushed her cheek as he answered.  Kagome sighed and wanted to hold him close and never let him go.  "Inuyasha, please, kiss me.  Kiss me and don't stop holding me.  I've been lonely for so long, and now I have everything I've ever wanted."

            "Oh?" he arched an eyebrow with the sound.  He heard her nod, and her next word made him understand that he could never love anybody like this, not in a million years.

            "You," she whispered, her voice almost sounding like a soft moan.  He lifted his head and stared at her.  Her eyes sparkled, but it was out of happiness, not tears.  "All I ever wanted was you.  I wanted somebody who respects the land, who understands me, who treats me like a princess.  That's you, pure and simple."  Kagome giggled, rubbing her nose against his.  "Okay, and you kind of make me feel fuzzy warm inside too, which is just the added perk."

            Filled with passion, he closed the almost invisible distance between their lips, kissing her with all the love he could not say out loud yet without fear of frightening her away from its intensity.  As his lips drew over hers, his breath ragged, he told her that she was everything that he had almost wanted too.  When she asked him what that was, as his lips brushed down her neck and back up again, he replied, "Someone who loves me for who I am rather than what I am."  He lifted his head again to look at her.  "I just never thought that I'd be lucky to find someone who is as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside."

~*~

            "Don't look."  Kagome giggled and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress.  She made sure her hair was perfect before she stepped out from the side room she had dressed in. Kagome saw his jaw drop and he stared at her, worry suddenly flitting about in her heart.  "Don't you like it?"

            The dress was, surprisingly, a gift from Sesshomaru.  The King had said that he didn't want to introduce his sister-in-law looking like a ragamuffin, so he had sent up a dress for her to wear, as well as everything else she would need to prepare herself.  Ruby earrings dangled from her ears, entwining with ringlets of black hair.  All of the top had been pilled into a bun, leaving pieces of it hanging down so that she didn't look very prim and proper.  In fact, Inuyasha thought it looked like she had just come outside from watching the stars, or climbing a tree, which was just the right look for a woman such as Kagome.

            The dress was ruby red, and hung off her shoulders, revealing enough skin so that Inuyasha  was actually jealous, when he stopped thinking of the time when he had seen her in the bath.  This was about as much as he had seen then…  She wore no such foolish instrument as a corset, and the dress clung to all her curves.  She was quite shapely, he found approvingly.  The more he discovered about Kagome, the more he loved.  The skirt flared out, making her look as though she were gliding when she moved.

            "You don't like it?"

            He shook his head and finally managed to find his voice.  "It's missing something… I know."  He stiffly went to his cupboard and pulled out a wooden box, rummaging through it before he pulled out what he sought. His body still hurt, though his recovery was fast, the wounds closed and the burn marks only a rose pink now, though they still ached when he moved too fast. 

Taking Kagome's hand, he brought her to the mirror with an impish grin, so that she could see what he was doing.  He unraveled a diamond necklace from his large hands and gently placed at around her neck, pleased at her awed gasp.  He tied the choker on a loose hinge, so that it accentuated the skin she showed off not only through the clear color of the diamonds, but by the shape as well.  "It was my mother's.  It looks good on you."

            She took his hands on hers and drew them around her waist.   They stared at themselves in the mirror, staring at the happy smiles on their faces to the rings on their fingers.  'This is it. I'm really going through with it.'  They had these thoughts at the same time, and then promptly sighed.  'We look so happy, together.  We're so alike, but so different.'

            Somebody knocked on the door. Somebody always seemed to be knocking on that damned door at the worst possible opportunities.  Inuyasha opened it and found Kouga staring at him.  The wolf demon looked the dog demon up and down.  Inuyasha had pulled his hair back into a lose ponytail.  He wore a vest of silver, underneath a white dress shirt.  From the waist up he looked liked like a prince, but rather than wearing the latest style of pants –tights Inuyasha would not be caught dead in- he still wore his regular red pants.

            "You look stupid," Kouga snarled.

            Kagome's presence, slipping underneath Inuyasha's arm to smile at the demon who had helped her carry Inuyasha upstairs the day before, calmed the situation.  "I think he looks wonderful.  He looks like himself."

Kouga reached out and took her hand.  "M'lady, your beauty can grace us any time you wish."  Then he saw there was a ring on her finger and he let the hand fall away.  He knew a lost battle when he saw one.  "Well, the King's ready to announce you now."

            Inuyasha shut the door behind them and offered his fiancée his arm.  Kagome accepted it with a loving smile, and they made their way back down the maze of hallways to the doors of the main entrance.

            The wolf demon left them, giving Sesshomaru the sign.  The King stood up on the dias and began the speech he had prepared, talking about how their engagement would mean an end to the threat of war, and how happy he was that his brother had found somebody to love.  Inuyasha's ears twitched, and for some reason, he knew his brother was telling the truth.

            Her grip was becoming tighter on his arm.  He shifted her hand down slightly, so it wasn't over one of his half-healed cuts.  She apologized profusely when she realized what she had done.  "I'm a little nervous," she admitted as her cheeks went as red as her dress.

            Inuyasha kissed her gently, careful not to let his lips ruin the make up she'd applied to make her lips look so red before he recalled she wasn't wearing any.  He gave her a slightly deeper kiss and she sighed, indicating she wanted more.  His lips brushed hers as he stared at her, his eyes making her forget that there was a crowd of demons on the other side of the doors who wanted to see her, or that there were people at home praying she would keep away war.

            "You can do this, Kagome."

            The girl nodded.  "I know that I can.  I have you by my side."  Inuyasha glanced at her as the doors opened to cheers and clapping, but the smiles they wore were only for each other.


	8. Happily Ever After

AN: Hiyaa!  So, yeah, I'm updating now because I don't know if I'll have time to do it tomorrow.  Starting to work on my own stuff during the day and then write fanfiction at night.  And, you know, on those nights when I can't sleep and I'm up at 5 am.  -_-

Rover girl: Glad you like it! And yes, yes this is the last chapter. *cough*  But I'm planning a sequel!  I swear I am!

ME: There is so not enough M/S out there, in my opinion.

Neko: I try and do it every Wednesday.  As long as my muse keeps me going.  Keep me going, muse!  Don't you dare leave me!

Jabba1: It ends. ^_^ More or less.

Lilemmy:  Sesshy in tights? *giggles*  That was the general idea…  And here's all the other answers to your questions!

Friend of Shippo: Thank you so much!  Honestly, I read that and I said to myself (aloud as I do speak to myself): 'That's it! Long live the character development stories! Plot what plot?' And promptly tried to write a chapter of my own story.  Then Neopets distracted me.

Kiyoushi: As much as I love talkin' to you and pocky, I have to admit you do scare me just a wee bit. ^_^'

Mybyrdy:  Once again with the making me want to start writing.  And then I was tempted to rewrite yet another chapter and make Kouga spike the punch….  So tempted!!  I still am, even as I get this ready to upload.  I mean, a drunk Kagome!  *giggles*

Buyo: For once: no epilogue.  I'm notorious for epilogues.  I can't leave until everything is wrapped up in a tight little box.

Miko-in-training: I will give myself a prize, thank you.  Chocolate!  But my ego probably doesn't need that. (Ego? What ego?)

NR: I updated. *point*

Maria:  I did. *point*  I love pointless stuff….

Kougas-girl:  I'm sorry I didn't get more Kouga in there.  I'll try and write him into the sequel, just because of your name.  And so I can make cracks about his legs.

Squeakyinuears:  *sigh*  I love your long reviews…..

Anyway! Enjoy the last chapter to 'Once Upon A Time'! Next Wednesday: the sequel!  What'll happen?  Well, that would end this story for you…. ^_^ Love you all lots!  This was a blast to write! Oh yeah, and the inspiration for this chapter, most of it, was from watching _Anastasia_ one too many times.

Chapter Eight: Happily Ever After

            Inuyasha and Kagome sat upon the two smaller thrones, beside Sesshomaru and his large one.  Buffet tables were pushed off to the side, and the chatter was only matched by the sound of music and laughter.  Kagome was beginning to feel her blush sink away, now that people were no longer staring at her.  But every once in awhile she felt someone's eyes upon her, and her cheeks would spring momentarily back to life.  She looked around in awe at the swirling colors of the dance floor.

            "You know, Inuyasha, I don't really see why you would think the court's so bad.  It seems kind of nice to me."  He stared at her, and Kagome relented with a smile.  "Okay, so it doesn't seem that bad now that people aren't accusing me of murder."

            "This is a party, Kagome.  I like the parties.  I just get to sit here.  It's the rest of time I can't stand the court.  The rest of the time people are squabbling, and vying for attention.  All the court is to these people is a giant game.  Of course, by not playing court games is how I made myself a pawn, and how I came to be engaged in you."  Finally he glanced over at her, and while his lips were still in the half frown he wore when he was deep in thought, his golden eyes were alight.  "So, on second thought, I suppose it isn't that bad."

            She smiled back at him, and patted his hand, slipping her fingers into his palm, as naturally as she would have had he been her closest friend.  "If you must call yourself a pawn, then at least be honest about it.  You're the strongest, and noblest pawn I've ever seen."

            "And how many pawns have you ever seen?  You're just a pawn in all this too, Kagome."

            "Oh, I'm well aware of that fact," she purred as he leaned towards her.  Slowly, they kissed gently, and Kagome once again felt her face erupt as she felt the demonic courtiers watching their movements.  They sat back in their seats, but she didn't remove her hand from his.  She gazed out at the crowd, and her face slowly fell.  "I wish that Sango was here."

            His hand squeezed her hand reassuringly.  "I'm certain that wherever she is, Sango is looking down at you and proud at what you've done.  I mean, come on Kagome, you made my brother accept you.  I think you managed that faster than I did."  Glancing at the celebration hall, Inuyasha turned back to her, looking uncomfortable.  "You didn't want to dance, did you?" he inquired, almost sounding nervous.

            Kagome shook her head, her warm brown eyes looking miffed at the idea at dancing.  "I can't dance like that.  I don't know how."  She laughed softly, her eyes focused on the people out on the floor, spinning in circles, a kaleidoscope of colors.  "They all look so perfect.  I'd mar it if I went out there and tried to dance."

            "They all took lessons.  It's not different than a kata, really."  He stood up and tugged on her hand, smiling at her with his patient grin that seemed copied from her own face.  "Come on.  This is your party, Kagome, you should take part in it.  And I can't dance very well either, so we'll make a fool out of each other, then."

            She let him pull her from her chair and sweep her out to the dance floor.  Their fingers entwined together, and he placed her hand on his shoulder, explaining as he went.  "You keep your hand here, that way you can push the guy away of he gets too close to you, and pull him closer if you want too.  The other arm stays stiff, but don't make it look like a stick, keeping this arc in it."

            She laughed gently, surprised that the demon she loved hated being a part of the court so much he lived like a hermit, but yet he could explain dancing so easily.  "And you say that you can't dance…"

            "I can't.  Okay, your eyes stay with mine, don't look at your feet.  You let me lead.  Like your arm, your back is supposed to be tall, but you're supposed to move, like water or fire or something."  Her eyes locked with his, and he smiled down at her, feeling like her was being pulled into the warmth on her face.  His cheeks heated up as he placed his other hand around her waist.  He was pretty sure that was everything.  He counted the beats in his head, waited until the repeated, and then stepped.

            Kagome stepped on his foot.

            "Sorry!" she quickly apologized, trying to shift her feet so she could see his foot and make sure it was alright.  

            Inuyasha tapped her chin and made her look up at him again.  "I'm fine.  Usually I'm the one stepping on people's feet, that's all.  Okay, let's try this again. You just let me lead.  Don't look at the floor, don't think about what you're doing, just let me lead you.  It's really easy. In this dance, it's always right, left, right, left.  Step forward, to the left, back, and to the right."

            Nodding, she managed to smile.  "I think I have it now."

            He started off again as the beat came around, and this time she didn't step on his feet.  They completed one whole rotation, gazing at each other, and he smiled, seeing the concentrated look on her face, as if she were tying to solve an algebra equation.  "Relax, Kagome.  It's not like anybody is watching you or anything."

            "You are," she softly pointed out.  His grip on her waist tightened slightly, another full spin done.  Kagome wondered how people liked dancing. It seemed so… repetitious…  But when he smiled at her warmly, she felt herself relax a bit more.  She began to realize that his body really was guiding her.  His movements were perfectly timed, and graceful.  She tilted her head at him as she thought.  That was right.  As a prince, he had probably been taught to dance when he was little.  "You lied.  You're a good dancer.  You managed to teach me how to dance."

            Inuyasha's face blazed as red as his pants.  "I hope you're ready for the spin that comes with this."  He suddenly shifted on the ball of his still unshod foot as he stepped down.  Suddenly the dance floor seemed to be in a blur, and Kagome was glad that he had told her to keep her eyes focused on her, otherwise she would have lost track of where she was moving.

            She let Inuyasha guide her, lost in his eyes and subconsciously pulling him closer to her, the only thing she could trust in this repeating world of spinning colors and tilting angles.  His fingers rubbed her skin, and hers toyed with the fabric of his shirt.  She completely forgot that there were other people in the room, and she felt like she was dancing on clouds.

            "Does it always feel like this when you're dancing?" she asked him, breathless from dancing.  The music suddenly died, but she could still hear it in her ears.  The room slowly stopped spinning, and she realized that the thunder she could hear behind the music was the sound of people clapping for the band.

            He shook his head.  "I feel dizzy.  Maybe we should stop."

            "We have stopped, Inuyasha," she said with a patient smile, felling exactly the same way.

            A sudden gasp from the court made them jump away from each other, cutting the music that still rang from her ears.  The doors slammed open, and Kagome shifted closer again to Inuyasha, this time for protection.  Recalling the first time the court had given such a gasp, all she could think of was another relative of Manten coming to challenge her to a duel, or of a hurt woman coming to avenge herself on Inuyasha by attacking his fiancée.

            "Inuyasha?"  He glanced down at the woman who clung to her sleeve, and just now looked worried and confused.  "You don't happen to have any old girlfriends, do you?"

            Three pairs of feet tapped the floor as they walked. Two were in perfect unison as they echoed in the room, the other two shuffled quickly, taking smaller steps.  The tall man looked like death himself, robed all in black as he was, and with a grim face.  The woman looked like the personification of lamentation, her skin pale and her eyes worried, though her lips were taught and the onlookers knew she came on business.  The young demon was cute, and could not help but stare at the splendor of the court he would one day inhabit.  All of them had dirt smudged on their faces, their hair was dirty, and their clothes were wrinkled.  

            'Okay!' the woman mentally growled, her finger tapping the hilt of her weapon.  'I get it!  We're dirty and we smell!  It's not our fault that we didn't find a place to bathe along the way.'

            Kagome couldn't see over the heads of the demons.  "Who is it?"

            The announcer answered her question for her.  "Lord Shippo, of the Northern Forests, the Priest Miroku, Lord of the Southern Marshlands, and Sir Sango, head of the Queen's personal guards!"

            "Sango?"  Kagome went to run to her friend, but Inuyasha held her fast.  She frowned up at him, and he winked, taking her hand and leading her through the forest of demons so she wouldn't get lost.  'I never knew Sango was a knight….'

            "Lord Shippo, it is an honor to have a fox demon in my court again," Sesshomaru said, bound by the laws of the court to give such a reception.  "Lord Miroku, I have not heard of you before, but I look forward to hearing the tales of your religion.  And Sir Sango, it has been some years since you were last here.  Tell me, oh slayer of demons, why I should hear what brings you to me house attired as such instead of having my guards throw you in the dungeon."

            Sango felt tears come to her eyes, but she blinked them away.  Hospitality demanded that Sesshomaru offer them safety for the night, and she could cry for Kagome in the privacy of Miroku's arms, letting his pleasing lips and touches show her that she, at least, was still alive.  She refused to cry in front of the King.  "My Lord, I graciously pardon the intrusion of myself and my companions, but it is my duty to bring you word of a tragic accident, and of my own failure as a knight for Queen Kikyo. Four days ago I was bound into your land with another companion, Lady Kagome Higurashi, the woman chosen by my Queen to wed your half brother.  Sadly, we were attacked, and our carriage was destroyed, she along with it.  The attackers fled, and I came to tell you word that the woman who was to wed your brother is now dead."  Her shoulders shook slightly, but as she stood back up they straightened.  "I once again regret for bringing you such news in the midst of your festivities."

             The King drew his eyebrows together, staring at the human female.  "I'm afraid, Captain Sango, that you are mistaken.  The celebrations you see before you are in celebration of the engagement between lady Kagome and my brother.  Ah, there she is."

            "Sango?"

            Drawing in a breath, the older woman slowly turned around to find Kagome standing in the crowd with a scared look on her face, but still appearing as a friendly face among the crowd of demons.  Sango felt the tears she had dismissed try to make a reappearance, and she let them.  Sango ran forward with her arms outstretched, suddenly holding Kagome like a little sister, hugging her tightly to male sure that she was solid.  "Kagome!"

            Kagome smiled weakly, holding the knight back just as tightly.  "Oh, Sango.  I thought you were dead too.  Inuyasha looked for you, but he couldn't find you or feel you…"

            "No wonder!" Sango laughed, lifting her head off Kagome's shoulder and drying her cheeks.  "Miroku was masking our auras with his powers, and we were hiding.  We looked for you, but all Shippo could smell was Prince Inuyasha.  Oh, but look at you!  Kikyo would be proud!"

            Seeing that the drama was over, the crowd swept itself back into partying and feasting, and the five companions were forgotten.  Kagome smiled at Sango before Miroku came and gently pushed her out of the way to take Kagome's hands in his, staring into her eyes.  "My lady Kagome!  I don't believe Sango properly introduced us.  I am Miroku, and I have never met anybody so beautiful as you.  Please, bear my children."

            "Miroku!"  Sango looked horrified, and she struck him rather harshly.  Miroku merely grinned.  Sango rolled her eyes.  "I swear I can't take you anywhere."

            Inuyasha glared at the laughing monk from over Kagome's head, his golden eyes smoldering in protective possessiveness.  "If you touch her again, I will remove your hands, monk."

            "Inuyasha!"  Kafome looked horrified, and she struck him rather harshly.  "I swear I can't take you anywhere."  She and Sango glanced at each other, and giggled, understanding each other perfectly, while Inuyasha and Miroku traded confused looks and irritated glares.

            They were about to burst into talk when Shippo jumped on Kagome.  He'd no sooner jumped on her neck than Inuyasha picked him off, holding him by her tail.  Shippo smiled nervously when he found himself face to face with the demon prince.  "Er… hello, Your Majesty!"

            "Feh," Inuyasha said, putting on the ground again.  He stared at Kagome's three new friends and sighed.  Sweeping away from them, he motioned for them to follow him.  Inuyasha led the three to unoccupied rooms, and told them to come back down when they were washed and cleaned: then they could enjoy the party.

            Taking one look at his door, the monk grinned, and walked straight into Sango's chamber.  The engaged couple heard a few oaths, a slap, a soft giggle, and then Miroku returned out, threatened and slapped back to his own room.  He grinned when he saw that Inuyasha and Kagome were still in the hallway.  "She loves me.  Such is this cost of our yet unspoken devotion." He disappeared into his own room.

            Kagome leaned against the wall, her head tilted and her face puzzled.  "Don't pretend you don't know, Inuyasha.  You could smell Shippo and Miroku when Hiten and Manten attacked us.  You were in the tree, after all. You could hear them, and see them too, so you know full well of their real professions.  Sango said that you arrest bandits, so…."

            "Do you really want to see your friends thrown in jail?" he quickly retorted.  When she shook her head no, he snorted.  "I didn't think so.  Besides, they don't kill, or maim, or kidnap.  Okay, Miroku's asked all of the females he's run into to marry him or to bear his children, but all he's gotten in return was a bunch of bruised cheeks or angry fathers yelling at him.  As for Shippo, he still has a century or two ahead of him, so why should I ruin that for him?  They've saved a lot of people, and when the time comes that I have to fight them…"  He trailed off, not quite liking that thought.  It was true.  They had saved a lot of people, giving their treasures to the poor.  Inuyasha was supposed to hold up a law, but if he killed off the bringers of hope, then what would happen to moral law and faith?

            She stared up at him, and gently smiled.  "You never cease to amaze me, Inuyasha."  The blush that spread over Inuyasha's face was also fairly amazing, Kagome had to admit.

~*~

            Washed and dressed, Miroku reappeared with Sango hanging off his arm.  Shippo had disappeared into the kitchen, when the maids saw how adorable he was and had taken him downstairs to see what sweets they had.  Miroku had dressed in the style of the demon court, but he had to admit that Sango pulled it off much better than he did, wearing one of the dresses with the off-the shoulder neckline, and the flaring skirt.

            Miroku watched them dance, and shook his head when the dance ended to polite applause.  He held out his hand for Sango and motioned to the band.  "Let's show them how to really dance, my Lady Sango."  Laughing, nearly an insane laugh, had it not been so soft, she accepted his hand and let him lead her out to the dance floor.

            Like with Kagome and Inuyasha, they started off holding each other far apart, staring into each other's eyes.  But neither of them were nervous: this was the dance of their lives.  They knew each other, and trusted each other with all their hearts. So when the first of the heavy notes landed on the dance floor like a bomb, they were willingly swept up into the music.

            Sango pushed herself further into Miroku's arms, linking a hip with her leg.  He took the opportunity to let the hand she normally would have slapped away to slide down her side, enjoying every curve of her body.  He winked at her, a slip from the debonair role he played in the dance, and unhooked her hands from his neck, drawing her into a spin.

            Kagome stared at them dancing.  They were drawing a crowd!  All the demons could somehow feel the raw passion of the dance, that tale it told of a love not returned, and the desires lurking behind it.  It wasn't so much a dance as it was a tale, and watching Sango lean back from Miroku's body, only his arms supporting by their touching waists, she had to admit that the feelings behind it seemed real, on both their parts.  She glanced over at Inuyasha, who was staring at the perverted monk with a new kind of respect.

            "How come we don't dance like that?"

            He glanced down at her.  "I don't think I know how to dance like that.  Is that what court parties look like in the human court?"

            She shrugged.  "I don't know.  But if these two are always there, it must be interesting."

~*~

            After their dance, female demons crowded around Miroku, all eager to talk to him and to have him dance with them the same way he had to Sango.  The beautiful knight looked at Miroku once again being all but attacked be females, and turned away.  She passed by Kagome and Inuyasha, who both looked astounded and confused as to why she wasn't standing up and defending the man she obviously held some sort of deep attachment to.

            Kagome went to go and talk to Sango about all that had happened in the three days they had been separated, everything from the duel with Hiten to the discovery that she liked kissing Inuyasha.  But the demon she was now engaged to held her hand and pulled her back, allowing the knight to run outside and sit under the stars, deep in contemplation.

            "Why didn't you let me go talk to her?" Kagome asked with fire in her voice.

            Inuyasha stared at her like she was an imbecile before he smiled at her and let her go, hoping that she wouldn't feel like he was trying to control her now.  "Because they have things to talk about. Anyway, I'm going to go to bed.  I guess that I had a bit too much fun tonight, and I need some more sleep if I want my wounds to finish healing as quickly as possible.  If you ask Kouga, he'll take you to your guest room."  He patted her shoulder, and left, turning around a moment later to add, "but if he says anything at all about showing you a den, he's not referring to a room in the castle."

            His ears twitched as he heard her follow him, but he wasn't sure if it was actually to follow him until she slipped her hand with his and leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing.  Inuyasha felt a feather of happiness touch his heart.  "You don't want to stay and enjoy the festivities a little longer?"

            She shook her head, her hair brushing his neck.  "I'm still a little worn out from expanding all that energy yesterday morning.  But I have enough of it back that I can heal your wounds the rest of the way for you," Kagome kindly offered.  "Besides, I was actually rather lonely in that big bed all by myself last night."

            Then she realized what that sounded like and her face became as red as her dress.  "I mean…. It's just that I was always used to having my family around me, and I get lonely in the big room, all by myself.  I feel better when I'm with you."

            "I feel better when I'm with you too, Kagome," he admitted.

            Her eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him.  "Really?"  Inuyasha nodded, and when he smiled back Kagome knew that Kikyo could not have made a better match.

            Miroku, meanwhile, had finally detangled himself from the girls and made a bee line outside, finding Sango leaning against the balcony rail, staring up at the sky.  He leaned beside her, his face pensive, knowing that when she was staring at the sky was when she was deep in contemplation, staring up as if the shinning ancients could help alight her path.

            Sometimes, just sometimes, Miroku thought she was a better monk than he was.

            "A penny for your thoughts, my Lady Sango?"

            The knight was silent before she straightened, her eyes just brushing by Miroku so she was looking in direction, but not at him.  "It looks like it's going to be a happy ever after for Kagome and Inuyasha," she sighed.  "War's averted, the hero and heroine have found each other.  Even Shippo got a happy ending, being lavished attention, and getting all the candy he wants.  I just can't help but wonder when our happy ending is going to arrive, Miroku, if there will even be one."

He reached out and gently rubbed her shoulder.  Though his mouth grinned, his eyes fought to be either grey or violet, as serious as his heart when it came to the matter of a future with Sango.  "Lady Sango, I have been asking you to bear my children since I was five years old.  All you have to do is accept me."

"But I can't!" she finally admitted.  She reached out and pressed herself against him like she always did, feeling safe when he held her, even if his hands did wander.  "Miroku, I worked so hard to become a knight that I can't just say yes and let you carry me off to the bedroom!  And I can't say yes without knowing what will happen when you jokingly ask another girl that question and she says yes and jumps into your arms!  You're the only family I have left, and I'm not about to lose you, but at the same time I just can't give you what you want me to give to you."

"Oh, my Lady Sango," he murmured, his hands not taking the opportunity to slip below her belt line, but just rubbing her back and loving the feel of her body against his.  "I would never ask you to give up who are what you are.  I only want you to accept yourself as actually being _my_ Lady Sango.  All I want is a promise that you will bear my children one day, when you are ready, and I will no longer so much as look at another girl.  Well, I may look, but I swear: no groping or asking them the question!"

"Really?"  She stared up at hopefully.

Miroku didn't give her a verbal answer.  He held her suddenly tighter, and brought his face down to hers, crushing his lips against her passionately.  Sango tried to protest, but she eagerly gave into the kiss, and he didn't let go until he was sure she was convinced of his fealty.

When he looked at her again, he could see the happiness that she was still trying to control.  "And what happens when one day I find myself having to arrest you, Miroku?  I love you so much, it's selfish of me to ask you to stop when you do so much good…."

"You love me?" he repeated quietly.  Sango didn't respond: at least not verbally.  She tilted her face up to him again and kissed him gently, her warmth and the sigh she made enough for an answer.  Miroku kissed her forehead.  "I love you two, my Lady Sango.  And we will cross that bridge when we come to it.  After all, my being a thief hasn't been enough to deter our friendship, right, so why should it bother our love?"

Just to lighten the situation, Miroku slipped his hand down past the equator and rubbed the object he had so often gotten smacked for admiring.  He winced prematurely, and was shocked when he received nothing in return.  Opening an eye, he found Sango asleep in his arms, his head curled up on his chest and her slender fingers clinging to his vest.  Miroku smiled down at her, picked her up, sitting down on the wide ledge of the balcony and watching the stars.  He held his beloved Sango in is arms, letting her use his shoulder as a pillow and wrapping his arms around her so she wouldn't get cold.  Sango had rubbed off on him.  He looked up at the stars and thought of her.

'Oh, Sango.  You wanted to give people stars, but I got something better.  I got you…'

From the window seat in Inuyasha's room, snuggled under a blanket and wrapped in each others arms, the engaged couple stared down at Miroku and Sango.  Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, and scratched his ears.  His eyes widened in surprise, making her wonder if she could ever stop surprising him.  She didn't want to: she liked the way his eyes lit up whenever she showed him kindness.  "I've been wanting to do that since I saw you in your demon shape, or your Halfling shape or whatever you want to call it!" she confessed.

"And so, Jack as Jill, and naught shall go nill…. Isn't that what a famous human poet once said?"  Kagome nodded, and Inuyasha smiled at her, letting her fingertips run across the ends of pointed ears.  His own fingers danced across her face, unable to believe that the beautiful creature he had in his arms was a human, and not some creature of myth, or that she was bound to him in ways that he would never be able to understand even though his heart reflected the same sentiments.  "Then tell me what happens next, Kagome."

"Haven't you ever read a fairy tale, Inuyasha?  They only end one way: everything works out for the best and everybody lives happily ever after."

He smiled at her.  "I like the sound of that.  I mean, I'd hate to have to rewrite every single fairy tale in existence just to make sure we got a happy ending."

She snuggled closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling up at imp as if she were an imp, and not a Priestess who loved a half demon Prince.  "Did I neglect to mention that they always have to end in a kiss?"

~THE END


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